Even middlemen pay less when MSP halts: India Today probes 'arhtiyas' in Punjab
India Today TV has hit the ground for a reality check. India Today's Special Investigation Team probed the arhtiyas -- the main legitimate link between farmers on the one side and procurement agencies/buyers on the other -- in the two grain-bowl states. In this existing system, the arhtiya intermediaries receive a commission of 2.5 per cent, which Punjab and Haryana levy on the FCI and other buyers as part of state taxes on procurement. Here's all that our investigating team found. Watch report.