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Rohtak: New procurement rules forcing farmers to wait for days to sell crops, alleges Hooda
Hooda said that farmers have been struggling to fulfil requirements such as portal registration, gate passes, guarantors, biometric verification, tractor registration numbers, and general verification, forcing them to wait for several days just to sell their produce
Former chief minister and leader of opposition (LoP) Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Tuesday visited the Sampla grain market in Rohtak and interacted with farmers, commission agents (arhtiyas) and labourers to know problems faced by them during the ongoing procurement.
Interacting with media here, Hooda said that he will tour agricultural markets (mandis) across the state, beginning from Sampla mandi, which is part of his Garhi-Sampla-Kiloi assembly segment.
“I have been continuously receiving reports from farmers across the state regarding the chaotic conditions prevailing in the mandis. Instead of procuring wheat and mustard crops, the BJP government has been imposing new conditions on farmers on a daily basis,” the LoP said.
Hooda said that farmers have been struggling to fulfil requirements such as portal registration, gate passes, guarantors, biometric verification, tractor registration numbers, and general verification, forcing them to wait for several days just to sell their produce.
“The farmers are dealing on two fronts- first with the government’s ‘oppressive policies’ and another with changing weather. Farmers’ grains are wet due to weather and other farmers’ crops damaged due to hailstorm and incessant rainfall. The government should immediately conduct a special crop assessment (girdawari) and provide compensation to the farmers for their damaged crops,” the LoP added.
In an indirect attack on agriculture minister Shyam Singh Rana, Hooda said that instead of tackling the situation, BJP ministers are busy making frivolous statements, claiming that the rainfall will actually lead to increased yields. “Last week in Karnal, when Rana was asked by the media about damaged crops due to rain in several parts of the state, he said that rainfall helps in increased yields as it contains moisture,” Hooda claimed.
Hooda demanded that the government provide a bonus to farmers for every quintal of produce. He said that he has instructed all Congress MLAs to visit the mandis in their respective constituencies to raise the voice of the farmers and alert the government and the administration.
