Haryana: Paddy transporters await payments 6 months after procurement season, team comprising 4 DFSCs constituted

By Parveen Arora

Around six months after the completion of the 2025-26 paddy procurement season, scores of transporters engaged in lifting and transporting paddy continue to await clearance of their pending payments, brewing resentment among the transporters.

Transporters claim that dues amounting to lakhs of rupees remain unpaid despite the successful completion of their work during the procurement season. The prolonged delay has adversely affected their financial condition, forcing many to struggle with daily operational expenses, vehicle maintenance costs and repayments of loans taken to execute the transportation work.

As per the transporters, lifting and transportation of paddy during the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2025-26 were carried out under the Mandi Labour Contractor (MLC) and Mandi Transporter Contractor (MTC) system.

They maintained that the work was executed strictly as per the directions issued by the District Food and Supplies Controller (DFSC), market committees and procurement agencies and that all assigned tasks were completed satisfactorily and within the stipulated timelines.

However, the sources claimed that the delay in payments reportedly linked to the fallout of six FIRs registered in connection with alleged irregularities during the procurement season.

Several inspectors associated with the verification process are either under arrest or absent from duty, bringing the scrutiny and verification of transportation rounds to a standstill. As a result, payment files have remained pending for months.

Transporters expressed frustration over the slow pace of the process, alleging that they have been running from pillar to post in search of a resolution. “Only around 36 per cent of the total payment has been released so far, while the remaining amount is still pending,” said a transporter, adding that the uncertainty has created severe cash-flow problems for many contractors.

The authorities claimed that the department has constituted a committee comprising four DFSCs. The team is led by the DFSC of Karnal and includes DFSCs from Kurukshetra, Sirsa and Yamunanagar districts. The committee has been assigned the task of examining the matter and providing recommendations regarding the clearance of pending payments.

“The committee will submit its suggestions to the department and thereafter the payments will be disbursed to their accounts,” said Mukesh Kumar, DFSC Karnal.

This article has been republished from The Tribune.