Congress can't digest "strong arrangements" by state govt for purchase of Kharif crops: Haryana CM

Chandigarh (Haryana) [India], November 9 (ANI): Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Saturday highlighted his government's initiatives for the purchase of Kharif crops from farmers during the ongoing marketing season and said that the money has been given directly to the farmers' bank account within 72 hours after the purchase of the crop.
Speaking to ANI, CM Saini said that farmers have been paid an amount of Rs 11,296 crore directly in their bank accounts.
"Haryana government made strong arrangements for the purchase of Kharif crops. The purchase of paddy was started on Minimum Support Price (MSP) on September 27. Due to the early arrival of paddy in some mandis, we decided to start the purchase one week earlier keeping in mind the interests of the farmers. As per the instructions of the Government of India, the purchase of crops has been ensured at MSP," he said.
The Haryana CM also highlighted that farmers also did not have to wait at the Mandi gate.
"For this, the Haryana State Agriculture Development Board implemented a new system for getting passes at the mandi gate. This has benefited the farmers a lot. Farmers easily made digital gate passes themselves from home through a mobile app, so that they did not need to get another gate pass at the Mandi gate. They entered the Mandi directly and sold their crops without any delay or standing in line," he said.
CM Nayab Saini also asserted that the state government also made a complete arrangement for the payment of the crop.
"Our government has done the work of sending money directly to the farmers' account within 72 hours after the purchase of the crop. In this Kharif season, Rs 4.84 lakh permanent farmers are registered on the 'Meri Fasal, Mera Byora' portal...Farmers have been paid an amount of Rs 11, 296 crores directly in their accounts. This is what the Congress is not able to digest. For the Congress, which claims to protect the interests of farmers, their interests are more important than the farmers'," he said.
He also claimed that after seeing the decisions taken by his government and the arrangements made in the mandis for crop purchase, farmers of neighbouring states are also willing to sell their crops in the mandis of Haryana.
"Our government has also worked for the interests of the middlemen. The state government has increased their commission from Rs 46 per quintal to Rs 55 per quintal. The additional burden of Rs 9 per quintal is being borne by the state government. Our government has also worked to solve the problems of all the rice millers in every possible way. All the rice millers in the state were given a bonus of Rs 62 crore 58 lakh till August 30 for CMR delivery," he said.
The Haryana CM also asserted that the state government has made strong arrangements for the availabilty of fertilizers.
"False propaganda is being done by the Congress. Sufficient stock of fertilizer is available in Haryana and its distribution is also being ensured properly. Wheat is sown in about 24 lakh hectare area and mustard crop in 10 lakh hectare area in the state and fertilizer is being made available to the farmers as per requirement," CM Saini told ANI.
Meanwhile, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and state agencies of Punjab have procured 120.67 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of paddy in a total of 126.67 LMT of paddy arrived in the mandis of Punjab, an official release said.
The paddy is being purchased at MSP at Rs 2320 per quintal as decided by the Government of India for Grade 'A' paddy and the total paddy purchased by the Government to date in the ongoing KMS 2024-25, amounts to Rs 27995 crore benefitting around 6.58 lakh farmers, in Punjab.
Central Government has fixed an estimated target of 185 LMT for Paddy Procurement for the ongoing KMS 2024-25 which shall continue upto November 30.
The paddy procurement is in full swing in the Punjab and Haryana which are known as the Food Bowl of India. According to the official estimate, like every year 185 LMT and 60 LMT of paddy are estimated to be procured from these two states respectively during Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2024-25. (ANI)