Haryana: How did paddy embezzlement take place in Yamunanagar rice mills

By Shiv Kumar Sharma

Besides several other districts of the state, the alleged paddy scam has come to light in Yamunanagar district also. Superintendent of Police Kamaldeep Goyal has formed a special investigative team (SIT) to probe the scam. The police have registered three FIRs against a couple (husband-wife), who owns several rice mills in the district, for allegedly committing embezzlement in paddy allotted to their rice mills by government agencies. The police have arrested Sandeep Singla, the owner of the rice mills. The police are yet to arrest Singla’s wife, an accused in the paddy scam. The authorities of Haryana State Co-operative Supply and Marketing Federation Limited (HAFED) have suspended its four officials in connection with this paddy embezzlement case. Besides, the authorities of Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department have also suspended two officials of the department in the district in connection with this case.

Rice mills of the district were allotted paddy for custom milling by the government agencies, including HAFED and Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department. During a physical verification by the authorities of the said departments, the stock of the allotted paddy for custom milling was found short in seven rice mills of Sandeep Singla and his wife. Thereafter, the authorities of the HAFED and Food Civil Supplies Department got three separate FIRs registered against Sandeep Singla and his wife in November 2025.

How does the embezzlement take place in rice mills?

Nowadays, these practices are being adopted in a well-planned and organised manner by certain unscrupulous elements in connivance with some officials, commission agents (arthiyas) and rice mill owners. Fake and inflated gate passes are generated in the names of farmers without actual arrival of paddy in the grain markets. On the basis of such fake gate passes, payment at Minimum Support Price (MSP) is fraudulently obtained from government agencies. Subsequently, to regularise the paper stock, cheaper paddy is procured from other states at rates much below MSP and is adjusted against the fake procurement shown in official records. This results in huge wrongful gains to the involved parties and corresponding loss to the public exchequer. The entire process is concealed through manipulation of records, transportation details and milling data, making detection difficult without thorough physical verification and inter-departmental coordination.

What action have the police taken?

Soon after the stock of allotted paddy was found short in seven rice mills, Superintendent of Police Kamaldeep Goyal formed an SIT to investigate the case. Taking swift action, the SIT arrested the owner of the seven rice mills Sandeep Singla on December 2. The SIT is yet to arrest other involved persons in this case. According to the senior police officers, the investigation is being done swiftly.

Why was physical verification done?

After the case of short stock of allotted paddy came to light in seven rice mills, the authorities of the government agencies HAFED and Food and Civil Supplies Department got a physical verification done of all rice mills of the district. As per available information, there are 182 rice mills in Yamunanagar district. Four inter-departmental teams were formed for the verification of rice mills.

What action was taken by the government agencies?

Jatin Mittal, District Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Controller, Yamunanagar, said the Director-General of the department Anshaj Singh had suspended the Assistant Food and Civil Supplies Officer (AFSO) Devinder Kumar and Inspector Vinod Kumar for committing negligence in their duty of paddy procurement work on December 15, 2025. Earlier, Managing Director of HAFED issued suspension orders of four of its officials on December 9, 2025. As per Udham Singh, District Manager of the HAFED; Senior Manager Salinder Kumar, Field Inspectors Rajesh Kumar and Chander Mohan and Technical Officer Anil Kumar were suspended for negligence in duty of paddy procurement work.

How much paddy was purchased this year?

There are 13 grain markets in Yamunanagar district. As per record of District Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Controller, Yamunanagar, a total of 6,75,384 MT of paddy was procured in all grain markets of the district this year till November 15 (the last paddy procurement day). However, last year, as many as 6,09,166 MT of paddy had been purchased in all grain markets of the district.

This article has been republished from The Tribune.