Govt imposing ‘arbitrary’ conditions for buying crops, says Haryana LoP

Chandigarh: Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Thursday accused the government of imposing “arbitrary” conditions on purchase of crops.

The Leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda alleged that the BJP government in Haryana continues to impose fresh conditions on farmers “with the intent of ensuring that the government does not have to procure crops.”

“Yet another scam … Instead of actually procuring wheat and mustard, the government is imposing one bizarre condition after another upon the farmers. Conditions such as portal registration, gate passes, biometric verification, tractor registration numbers, general verification, and the requirement of a guarantor are being arbitrarily imposed,” he said.

“Farmers are being treated like criminals; all in all, the government’s objective appears to be to keep farmers entangled in this bureaucratic maze so that it can avoid having to procure their crops altogether,” he added.

Hooda, who was speaking to reporters in Naraingarh, claimed that during the Congress government procurement took place smoothly.

He was accompanied by state Congress president Rao Narender Singh and several party MLAs as he toured mandis (grain markets).

On Thursday, Hooda met farmers, labourers, and ‘arhtiyas’ (commission agents) in Naraingarh, Barara and Sadhaura mandis to assess the situation on the ground.

“The BJP government does not want to let go of even a single opportunity to fleece the farmers. This is because it is an anti-farmer government, in every sense,” he alleged.

The Congress leader demanded the government offer a bonus per quintal to the farmers.