Chandigarh, April 10 Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Friday criticized the opposition parties for "misleading" farmers regarding crop procurement, asserting that his government has put in place comprehensive and robust arrangements to ensure a smooth, transparent, and hassle-free procurement process across all markets.
He said here that nodal officers have been appointed in each market, additional chief secretary-level officers have been assigned responsibilities at the district level, and ministers, MLAs, and senior officers are continuously monitoring the situation on the ground to ensure that farmers do not face any inconvenience.
Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Thursday accused the government of imposing "arbitrary" conditions on the purchase of crops.
The leader of the opposition alleged that the BJP government in Haryana continues to impose fresh conditions on farmers "with the intent of ensuring that the government does not have to procure crops".
Hooda, who has been visiting markets (grain markets) in the state, has alleged mismanagement in the markets and said that farmers are facing great difficulties in selling their produce.
Taking a dig at the previous Congress government led by Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Saini said that during its 10-year rule, governance took a backseat and farmers were left to suffer.
The chief minister alleged that farmers had to wait three to seven days outside markets to sell their produce, faced a shortage of gunny bags, and their crops were often damaged due to rain, forcing them to arrange tarpaulins at their own expense.
He further said that the Congress should clarify how many warehouses were constructed during its tenure to safeguard crops. The procurement deductions, delayed payments, and even token compensation of Rs 2 reflected the insensitivity of the previous regime towards farmers, he claimed.
"We will procure every single grain produced by our farmers," Saini asserted.
The Congress policies were not aimed at public welfare but served limited interests, he said, adding that the grand old party has now lost touch with ground realities.
Saini said that mustard procurement has been ongoing in the state since March 28. So far, 16,046 metric tonnes of mustard have arrived in markets, of which 3,421 metric tonnes have been procured by government agencies, while the remaining has been purchased by private traders. A total of 1,558 metric tonnes has been lifted from markets.
He said that so far, payments amounting to Rs 4.94 crore have been transferred directly into farmers' bank accounts through direct benefit transfer (DBT) at the minimum support price of Rs 6,200 per quintal.
Similarly, wheat procurement, which began on April 1, has recorded arrivals of 17.37 lakh metric tonnes, out of which 3.92 lakh metric tonnes have been procured so far, according to the chief minister.
Payments amounting to Rs 13.09 crore have been released to farmers through DBT at the MSP of Rs 2,585 per quintal.
Referring to crop damage due to rain on April 6, 7, and 8, Saini said reports were received from parts of Fatehabad, Hisar, Sirsa, and Kurukshetra districts. He said he has personally spoken to the deputy commissioners concerned to assess the situation.
He further said that a portal has been opened for Hisar, Sirsa, and Fatehabad districts to register crop loss claims, and similar action will be taken for other affected areas.
So far, 1,350 farmers have registered crop damage covering 10,088 acres on the portal, including nine villages in Fatehabad, 10 in Hisar, and two in Sirsa.