“Crops devastated by hailstorm; complex procurement rules deepen farmers’ crisis — Rao Narender Singh”
Chandigarh - Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee President Rao Narender Singh launched a sharp attack on the BJP government in Haryana (the Nayab Saini government) over the government procurement process of wheat (and mustard). He termed it a “Tughlaqi diktat” and said the new rules are a “clever conspiracy” to harass farmers and evade procurement at MSP (Minimum Support Price).
He said that as per the new guidelines:
Farmers must bring their produce in their own tractor-trolleys, with the registration number clearly displayed.
Photos of the trolley and registration number will be taken at the mandi gate and must be uploaded on the government’s “Meri Fasal, Mera Byora” portal; only then will a gate pass be issued.
The time for bringing produce to the mandi is restricted from 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM; no gate pass will be issued beyond this.
Each registered farmer must personally visit the mandi for biometric (thumb) verification.
For lifting of produce, signatures of the Market Committee Secretary, procurement agency official, and transporter are all mandatory.
He said these rules will create procedural hurdles, leading to long queues in mandis, delays in arrival of crops, and disruption in lifting operations.
Rao Narender Singh further stated that harvesting through combine harvesters continues day and night, and crops often reach mandis at night. Due to time restrictions, produce will have to wait outside mandis, increasing costs and the risk of spoilage.
He also pointed out that not every farmer owns a tractor-trolley; many depend on rented ones. In such cases, it is unclear how the portal system will function, especially when the government does not permit commercial use of rented trolleys.
He alleged that by reducing the procurement target (from 8 million tonnes to 7.2 million tonnes) and keeping storage capacity limited, the government is deliberately attempting to reduce procurement.
Rao Narender Singh warned that crops may rot in mandis, lifting may not take place, and farmers may find it difficult to sell at MSP, leading to financial losses.
He further alleged that after the rollback of the three farm laws, there is now an attempt to weaken MSP through the “backdoor.” If these obstacles are not removed, farmers and agricultural labourers will be forced to take to the streets.
He also raised concern over delays in compensation for crops damaged due to unseasonal rains and hailstorms, saying that instead of providing relief, the government is making the procurement process more complicated and worsening farmers’ hardships.
He asserted that injustice and mistreatment of farmers will not be tolerated by the Congress. If farmers’ issues are not resolved soon, the Congress will launch an आंदोलन (agitation) against the government in support of farmers.
