Chandigarh, March 28 INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala on Saturday described Nayab Singh Saini as a "dummy chief minister", claiming that if he were truly in charge, he would have acted on the assurances given to the party regarding wheat procurement.
Speaking to reporters here after his party submitted a memorandum to Haryana Governor Ashim Kumar Ghosh highlighting various issues related to wheat procurement, the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) president called Saini a "dummy CM".
"He is a dummy CM, just a figurehead. If he had been truly in charge, he would have acted after he gave us an assurance on the memorandum we submitted on March 12."
"By now, he should have made a decision, as wheat procurement will begin on April 1. We have raised the main issue of procurement centers, as the absence of functional centers will cause serious hardship to farmers," he said.
Chautala said that the government had imposed several new conditions on wheat purchase.
He said that these conditions regarding procurement include "mandatory registration of tractor-trolley numbers, obtaining gate passes at mandis in person, biometric verification..."
He claimed that such conditions never existed before.
"What is the need for putting such conditions? Besides, the conditions stipulate a restricted gate pass window from 6 am to 8 pm, whereas it should be available for 24 hours, as farmers generally bring wheat to mandis at night to avoid fire hazards," he said.
Furthermore, he asked how farmers who bring their produce using traditional modes of transport, such as buffalo carts, bullock carts or camel carts, can obtain a gate pass.
He said that though the chief minister had given an assurance recently regarding the various demands and concerns raised by the INLD, no action had been taken so far. It was only after that that the party decided to approach the governor.
The INLD delegation which met the governor also included INLD patron Sampat Singh and state president Rampal Majra.
"We told the governor that it is a big issue in the state, and directions should be given to the government," he said.
Chautala said that the INLD would hold a meeting in Panipat on March 30 to formulate a strategy concerning farmers' issues.
Taking a dig at Saini's statement asserting that there is no shortage of gas or petroleum products, Chautala retorted that while the chief minister may be receiving his supplies without difficulty, the reality on the ground is different.
