However, no officials or staff were present at the centre. Farmers said if procurement did not begin today, they would have to bear the transport cost of returning with their produce. By 11 a.m. on the first day, tokens for around 2.28 lakh farmers had been generated. The society module is allowing token generation for today’s date until 5 p.m. The government has imposed a ban on employee strikes.
The state plans to procure paddy from more than 25 lakh farmers at a support price of ₹3,100 per quintal. But many farmers still do not have the required tokens. The “Token Tunhar Hath” mobile app is not working, preventing farmers from completing registrations.
This has created widespread inconvenience across major districts such as Durg, Raipur, Bilaspur, Surguja and Raigarh, where many farmers are yet to receive tokens.
Computer operators at paddy procurement centres across the state are on strike, affecting the registration process. The app continues to display a message that token registration is currently closed. Without the updated version on the Play Store, tokens cannot be generated.
District-wise Token Status
In Raipur district, 1,34,037 farmers are registered, and 139 procurement centres have been set up. Five checkpoints have been installed to prevent illegal transportation of paddy, but tokens have not been issued to several farmers.
Durg has 1,12,446 registered farmers, 87 committees and 102 centres. Only 61 tokens have been issued so far, leaving many worried.
Bilaspur, with 1,12,252 registered farmers and 140 centres, will begin procurement from Monday due to the weekend. With cooperative society staff on strike, collectors have assigned staff from other departments.
Bastar has more than 48,000 registered farmers. A private agency is appointing 79 operators for 79 centres. Token unavailability means fewer farmers may arrive at centres on the first day.
Raigarh has 105 centres under 69 committees. Procurement will continue until 31 January. Over 81,500 farmers have registered.
Surguja will procure at 54 centres. A trial run was conducted on 13 November. New procurement in-charges and operators have been appointed because the earlier staff are on strike. The procurement target is 39.02 lakh quintals.
Farmers Share Their Hardships
Nagendra Chandrakar, a farmer from Durg, said he cultivates 13–14 acres. Half the crop is harvested. The strike and technical glitches are major obstacles.
Parasnath Sahu from Raipur said most farmers in his village are still unregistered. “Agristech registration has not happened. The app is shut down from Delhi, and tokens are not being cut,” he said.
Procurement Centres and Token System
Chhattisgarh has set up 2,739 procurement centres. Procurement will run from 15 November to 31 January 2026. Each farmer can sell up to 21 quintals per acre. Centres are equipped with weighing machines, bags, computers, and internet.
Due to the operator strike, the government has begun appointing temporary staff, including job-seeking youths registered at employment exchanges. However, server and data errors persist.
What is the ‘Tunhar Token’ App?
Registered farmers must obtain a token through the app to sell their paddy at the designated date and centre. But the app is currently non-functional.
Farmers can obtain online tokens between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily. Token limits vary by landholding size1 token for up to 2 acres, 2 tokens for 2–10 acres, and 3 for above 10 acres. Of all tokens, 70% are issued via the app and 30% manually.
Farmers who cannot use mobile apps may get offline tokens from committees.
Despite alternative arrangements and rushed staff appointments, registration issues remain, and farmers await relief.
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