Chandigarh, April 11 The Aam Aadmi Party on Saturday extended support to protesting farmers in Haryana and alleged large-scale mismanagement in grain markets, holding Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini responsible for the situation.
AAP national media in-charge Anurag Dhanda claimed that farmers from several districts have been forced to protest due to hurdles in the procurement process, alleging that difficulties are being created at every stage – from entry into mandis to the sale of crops.
He said congestion in and around mandis has led to chaos, forcing farmers to sit on dharna.
According to Dhanda, over 20 lakh tonnes of wheat have arrived in markets across the state, while only around 5 lakh tonnes have been procured so far. Of this, just about 49,000 tonnes have been lifted.
Dhanda alleged that delays in procurement and lifting have led to large quantities of produce lying unsold in mandis, causing inconvenience to both farmers and commission agents.
He also criticised the functioning of the procurement system, claiming that farmers are facing long delays in generating gate passes and biometric verification due to technical glitches.
The AAP leader further alleged discrepancies in moisture meters in some districts, claiming that readings were higher than actual levels, which could lead to rejection of crops or lower prices.
Accusing the state government of failing to address the issue, Dhanda said farmers have been facing problems for nearly two weeks without any resolution.
He said the AAP stands with the farmers and demanded that the government streamline the procurement process, ensure timely purchase at the minimum support price and probe the alleged irregularities.
