Haryana farmers protest outside BJP offices over ‘slow’ paddy purchase

Bahadur Singh Mehla, spokesperson for the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Sir Chhotu Ram), said, farmers are being forced to sell their produce below the fixed rate

On the call of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), farmers from various unions staged a protest outside BJP district offices across the state on Saturday over alleged delays in paddy procurement.

In Karnal, the farmers highlighted the issues they have been facing at the mandis during the ongoing purchase. (HT File)

Earlier this week, farmers locked market committee offices for three hours over the same issues, warning of further escalation if their demands were not addressed.

In Karnal, the farmers highlighted the issues they have been facing at the mandis during the ongoing purchase.

Bahadur Singh Mehla, spokesperson for the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Sir Chhotu Ram), said, “The BJP led state government has failed to purchase our crops at minimum support price (MSP) and farmers are being forced to sell their produce below the fixed rate. Lakhs of tonnes of paddy has been lying in the open and have been damaged due to rain in the past days, but the government has failed to make arrangements to protect our produce.”

The SKM also staged a protest in Kurukshetra’s Pehowa under the leadership of Prince Waraich, alleging that rice millers were imposing deductions even on paddy that contains 17% moisture and the market committee has turned a blind eye towards it.

In Ambala, farmers from the Shaheed Bhagat Singh faction of BKU staged a sit-in on the Ambala-Hisar highway outside the new grain market in Ambala city.

Farmer leader Tejveer Singh said that the community has long been distressed and angry over the government’s decision to cap paddy procurement at approximately 26 to 27 quintals per acre, even though the actual yield in the fields is significantly higher (around 30 to 32 quintals).

In Rohtak, the protests were held amid heavy police deployment, where the farmers were stopped at some distance away from the BJP office. In Hisar, the SKM farmers marched to the BJP office and accused the chief minister of failing to honour his assurance of procuring 24 crops at MSP in Haryana.

They alleged that the paddy had been lying open in mandis for a month and there is a shortage of diammonium phosphate (DAP) fertiliser, causing problems to farmers from Jind to Uklana.

Farmer Shamsher Nambardar claimed that other than paddy, moong was being bought at ₹7,300–7,800 per quintal against an MSP of ₹8,781, and bajra at ₹1,900–2,100 per quintal against an MSP of ₹2,900.

Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Ranbir Malik in Hansi highlighted problems in both paddy and bajra sales. The farmers here also extended support to the ongoing protest in Delhi on the special intensive revision (SIR) issue.