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Farmers at loggerheads over paddy transplantation in Jhajjar village
Four days after the Haryana government claimed that farmers of BJP state president OP Dhankar’s native village Dhakla in Jhajjar have decided not to cultivate paddy this time after getting influenced by government’s ‘Mera Pani, Mera Virasat Yojana’ and will switch to other less water-consuming crops, two dozen farmers have criticised the government’s statement and announced that they will transplant the water guzzling paddy crop
Four days after the Haryana government claimed that farmers of BJP state president OP Dhankar’s native village Dhakla in Jhajjar have decided not to cultivate paddy this time after getting influenced by government’s ‘Mera Pani, Mera Virasat Yojana’ and will switch to other less water-consuming crops, two dozen farmers have criticised the government’s statement and announced that they will transplant the water guzzling paddy crop.
These farmers said they have prepared paddy nursery in their fields and will go for paddy transplantation in the last week of June.
“We can grow three crops – bajra, paddy and sugarcane in our fields. Bajra was damaged due to the upper water table, prices of sugarcane have come down and we have only one option - to grow paddy. If we do not grow paddy, how will we pay our tractor’s loan amount and other expenses? We have not received a single amount for last year’s crop diversification,” said rebel farmer Praveen Dhankar, who was among these two dozen farmers.
Jhajjar deputy director (agriculture) Inder Singh said Dhakla village has 3,445 acre land (1,400 of Dhakla village and rest of two hamlets that fall under this village).
The villagers said that there are more than 350 active cultivators in the village, of which more than 70 people are in favour not to cultivate paddy this time, two dozen farmers want to grow water guzzler paddy and the remaining are mum on this issue.
The 70-odd farmers are in favour of crop diversification as they are facing a waterlogging problem and their houses are damaged due to the upper water table.
“Our agricultural land has been losing its fertility and if we will not switch over to other crops, then we won’t be able to grow crops after a span of five to seven years,” said a group of farmers led by Sant Ram, who are in favour of switching over to other crops.
The state government had praised Dhakla farmers on June 11 for taking such initiative after two farmers, both former agricultural minister and BJP state president OP Dhankar’s active workers - Sant Ram and Jaipal Dhankar - had uploaded a video on the social media claiming that they have uprooted the paddy nursery in their fields after farmers of their village unanimously decided not to sow paddy this time. The duo urged farmers to go for crop diversification.
Under ‘Mera Pani, Mera Virasat Yojana’, the Haryana government is providing ₹7,000 per acre incentives to farmers for switching from paddy to other crops such as cotton, bajra, maize, pulses and vegetables.
This year, the government had also announced to give ₹10,000 per acre per year incentive to farmers for growing 400 trees per acre.
Sant Ram said they have conducted panchayats six times in the village asking villagers not to cultivate paddy this time but a few farmers have been raising objections.
“These farmers have prepared paddy nursery in their fields and are waiting to start paddy transplantation but we will not allow them to do so. How can 10-15 farmers go against the entire village’s decisions? If they do so, we will uproot their paddy plants. We are facing a waterlogging problem and our houses are damaged due to upper water table. We have asked these farmers to go for crop diversification,” he said.
Supporting the government’s move, Jaipal Dhankar said they will not go against the decision taken by majority of farmers to not cultivate paddy this time.
“We will keep our fields vacant and go for mustard crop in October. We had uprooted our nursery to support the government’s scheme,” he added.
Meanwhile, a group of farmers, led by Ashwani alias Sonu Phogat, on Sunday turned rebel and announced that they will go for paddy transplantation.
Showing his paddy nursery in his fields, Ashwani, said over 30 farmers have prepared paddy nursery and will go for its transplantation from June 26.
“Last year, I was the only farmer, who had sown paddy on four acre but the villagers mounted pressure on me to clear the fields. They had provided ₹70,000 to me for the expenses and then I followed their decision and cleared my fields. I had grown bajra on 25 acre and the entire crop was damaged due to waterlogging. I had to suffer a loss of ₹6 lakh. This time I had sown sugarcane on 4 acre and will transplant paddy on 21 acre,” he added.
Sewa Ram, who had taken 60 acre on lease, said he had suffered a loss of ₹10 lakh after he shifted to bajra.
“People have political agendas have made announcements to fulfil their aspirations,” he said.
Refuting farmers’ allegations that they have not received incentives last year for switching over to other crops from paddy, Jhajjar deputy director (agriculture) Inder Singh said they have given incentives to 120 farmers hailing from Dhakla village and others’ might had not get as they failed to fulfil all criteria.
“This time under the Kheti Khaali –Fir Bhi Khushali scheme, the state government is providing ₹7,000 per incentive to farmers, if they do not grow any crop in their fields on which they have been sowing paddy for many years,” he said.
“If anyone wants to grow paddy, we can try to convince them to switch but not punish them for it. No one can uproot any farmer’s paddy crop against their wishes,” he added.
Meanwhile, BJP state president OP Dhankar refused to comment on this issue.
