Hooda calls start of procurement by Hry a 'jumla'

Chandigarh: Former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda has said that the Haryana government's announcement to start the procurement of paddy from Sunday has also turned out to be a 'jumla'. He said the government has repeatedly changed the dates for starting procurement.

Hooda himself visited several grain markets to know the ground realities in procurement. He visited grain markets at Ladwa, Pipli and Thanesar and talked to the farmers, arhtiyas and workers. Everyone told him that even today the procurement of paddy has not started in the mandi.

Addressing a press conference after taking stock of the situation in the mandis, Hooda said the mandis are littered with paddy and the situation is such that there is no place to even set foot in the market and farmers are facing constant fear of rains.

"Farmers are forced to sell crops to private agencies below MSP due to the threat of rains and delays in government procurement," he said.

Hooda said farmers need clarity and said during the Congress government, when he was the Chief Minister, farmers knew a week before the purchase of paddy which agency would buy and which sheller their paddy would go to. Not only this, farmers were not harassed in the name of portal and registration during Congress government.

"Crops were purchased when they landed in the mandis and simultaneous payments were made. Today, farmers are being harassed by asking them to register on portals and on the pretext of high moisture content. As soon as our government is formed, every farmer's grain purchase will be ensured by eliminating the hassle of portal and registration," he said.

The Leader of Opposition said that we have had a long rainy season this time and it is still raining intermittently and hence the government should give concession to the farmers in the standard moisture content this time.