Cong MLA demands bonus for wheat farmers
The Congress MLA from the Adampur Assembly segment in Hisar, Chander Prakash, has demanded that a bonus of Rs 150 per quintal over the Minimum Support Price (MSP) be given to wheat farmers of the state, similar to the move by the Rajasthan Government.
Prakash, who defeated former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal’s grandson, Bhavya Bishnoi, to register the first-ever victory over the Bhajan Lal family in Adampur in electoral history, said the Haryana Government should promptly declare a bonus and ensure that farmers whose crops had already been procured also received the bonus.
He criticised the BJP-led government for its “negligence” in announcing any bonus on MSP. The Centre has fixed an MSP of Rs 2,425 per quintal for wheat, and the MLA demands bonus over it. The Congress MLA also inspected fire-affected wheat fields in various villages in the Adampur Assembly segment.
Expressing concern over incidents of crop fires in the fields, he said farmers worked tirelessly in extreme cold and scorching heat to cultivate their crops, but, after the damage caused by strong winds, the fires in fields and storage areas had pushed them to the brink of devastation.
During the visit, he met several affected farmers in Siswal and other villages of the constituency.
The MLA said farmers whose crops had been reduced to ashes due to fires should immediately be compensated by the government.
He added that many crops had been damaged due to strong winds, calling for a special girdawari to be conducted for compensation in this regard.
Prakash said the availability of gunny bags was inadequate, and there were no drinking water facilities in grain markets for farmers who had to brave the scorching heat. He said farmers had to unload grain in the open, making them fearful of damage by possible rain or strong winds.
He warned that rain could spoil the grain, and demanded proper facilities to protect it from inclement weather conditions.
He said, despite the BJP government’s annual claims of proper procurement arrangements, the reality was exposed once the grain started arriving in mandis, and farmers were left grappling with numerous challenges.
He said if the BJP government truly cared about farmers, as it claimed, it should immediately compensate those affected by fires, make strong procurement arrangements, and announce a bonus at the earliest.
The government should also take serious steps to ensure protection against crop fires, he added.
Haryana Tribune