Ambala Farmers' Distress: Portal Data Mismatch Sparks Outrage, Hampers Produce Sale

Delhi: Farmers in the Ambala district of Haryana are encountering difficulties in selling their sunflower crop due to discrepancies in data on the Meri Fasal Mera Byora portal, The Tribune reported. 

Despite registering, farmers are unable to see their quotas on the portal, resulting in the non-issuance of gate passes. Additionally, problems such as Aadhaar card mismatches and discrepancies in their registered land area during verification are further compounding their challenges.

Balvinder Singh, a farmer from Shahabad, expressed his frustration to The Tribune saying: "I registered my crop on the portal, completed the verification process, and the yield is visible on the portal. However, when I attempted to sell my produce, the gate pass was not issued due to an Aadhaar mismatch."

Kamalpreet Singh, another farmer from Chudiala village, shared a similar experience after visiting the Ambala Cantonment grain market. He said he was unable to obtain a gate pass and was informed that his Aadhaar card was invalid. "Although I have already received compensation under the Bhavantar Bharpai Scheme, I am still awaiting the opportunity to sell my produce," Singh told the newspaper.

Rakesh Bains, spokesperson of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Charuni), highlighted that numerous farmers are encountering obstacles when attempting to sell their produce. Bains mentioned a meeting with the Kurukshetra Deputy Commissioner, who provided assurance that the matter would be promptly addressed. There have been instances where farmers registered 10 acres of land, but only one acre was verified. If the inconvenience persists, the union plans to hold a meeting to discuss potential actions, the report said.

Neeraj Bhardwaj, secretary of the Ambala Cantonment grain market, told The Tribune that several farmers have approached them with concerns regarding farmland verification, invalid Aadhaar cards, and missing quotas on the portal. Bhardwaj assured that these matters had been brought to the attention of higher authorities and would be resolved accordingly.

Rajiv Choudhary, the District Marketing Enforcement Officer (DMEO) for Ambala and Kurukshetra, said that due to the high influx of farmers in Shahabad, a help desk has been established. Choudhary added that certain issues arose during the registration process due to farmers cultivating multiple crops. Efforts are underway to promptly address the grievances and rectify the situation, he assured while speaking to The Tribune.