Chandigarh, Sept. 20 -- Chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday assured arhtiyas (commission agents) that the state government will raise their genuine demands with the central government. Chairing a meeting with arhtiyas here, Mann emphasised that the state government was fully committed to addressing their legitimate concerns with utmost seriousness. "Most demands fall under the purview of the Union government, which has been giving them a cold shoulder," he said. The CM said that the matter of increasing the commission of arhtiyas had already been taken up with the central government, criticising it for viewing commission agents as redundant, asserting instead that they play a vital role in procurement operations. Describing arhtiyas as a 'crucial pillar' in the entire procurement process, Mann said they were the unpaid chartered accountants of farmers, maintaining detailed records of crop yields and financial transactions. He further stated the state government would enhance the validity of arhtiya licenses from 5 to 10 years, with new licenses to be issued within 48 hours. The government would soon also introduce a One-TimeSettlement (OTS) scheme to clear pending arrears, fines, and interest related to non-construction of shops allotted to arhtiyas when mandis were originally established, he added....