Chandigarh, April 7 Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda claimed on Tuesday that the BJP government in the state is imposing new conditions for buying farmers' crops instead of procuring at the minimum support price (MSP).
Over the next few days, the Congress leader will be touring several mandis (grain markets) in the state to assess the problems faced by the farmers.
Hooda claimed that he has been receiving continuous reports from farmers across the state regarding the "chaotic conditions prevailing in the mandis".
The leader of the opposition (LoP) claimed that instead of procuring wheat and mustard, the BJP government is imposing new conditions on farmers on a daily basis.
"Farmers find themselves entangled in the bureaucratic maze of fulfilling requirements such as portal registration, gate passes, guarantors, biometric verification, tractor registration numbers, and general verification, and they are consequently forced to wait for several days just to sell their produce," he told reporters in Bhiwani.
"Caught between the government's oppressive policies on one hand and the vagaries of the weather on the other, farmers are being crushed under the dual burden.
"Due to incessant unseasonal rains, the standing crops of farmers have suffered extensive damage. Under these circumstances, the government should immediately conduct a special Girdawari (crop damage assessment) and provide compensation to the affected farmers," he said.
The opposition demands that, in addition to the minimum support price (MSP), farmers be provided with a bonus as well, he added.
Hooda said the government must streamline the arrangements at the mandis, remove unnecessary conditions, and ensure the procurement of crops as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, Hooda visited the Sampla grain market in Rohtak district on Tuesday, where he met with farmers, labourers, and commission agents (arhtiyas), and issued directions to the officials present.
"The government does not want to give MSP and unnecessary conditions have been imposed by the government, which will force the farmers to sell their produce outside the mandis at prices lower than the MSP," Hooda claimed.
To convey farmers' concerns to the government, in coming days, the LoP will conduct an extensive tour of mandis across the state to listen to their grievances.
In addition to visiting the Sampla grain market, which falls under his own constituency, Hooda will also visit the grain markets in Naraingarh, Sadhaura, Barara, Ambala, Pipli, and Karnal this week.
Additionally, similar directives have been issued to all Congress MLAs, instructing them to visit the mandis in their respective constituencies to raise the farmers' voices and alert the government and the administration.