Kaithal farmers protest curbs on paddy cultivation, Congress extends support

Protesting farmers accused the BJP-JJP government of imposing a ban on paddy cultivation without assessing the ground reality.

Agitated over the government’s decision of imposing restriction on the cultivation of paddy, hundreds of paddy growers from Kaithal district on Monday staged a dharna in Kaithal and demanded the government to withdraw its decision.

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Protesting farmers accused the BJP-JJP government of imposing a ban on paddy cultivation without assessing the ground reality. They demanded the immediate withdrawal of the order under which farmers have to diversify at least 50% of their last-year cultivated paddy area by growing alternate crops in eight blocks of the state including Ratia, Siwan, Pipli, Shahbad, Babain, Ismailabad, Guhla and Sirsa.

Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala also extended his support to the protesting farmers.

He demanded the withdrawal of curbs imposed on paddy cultivation by Haryana’s BJP-JJP government in about 4.5 lakh acres agricultural land of the state.

Surjewala accused the government of debarring paddy cultivation in 19 blocks of the state and said that the government cannot deprive the farmers of their right to grow crops and get the benefit of Minimum Support Price.

He said that the Congress will continue its support to the farmers in their fight against the government’s diktats to punish the farmers.