Chandigarh, April 10 (NationPress) Haryana's Chief Minister, Nayab Singh Saini, on Friday criticized the Congress and other opposition factions for providing misleading information to farmers regarding crop procurement. He emphasized that the government has implemented thorough and effective measures to guarantee a seamless, transparent, and hassle-free procurement process across all grain markets.

In a media briefing, the Chief Minister announced that nodal officers have been designated in each ‘mandi’, with Additional Chief Secretary-level officers assigned district responsibilities. Ministers, MLAs, and senior officials are actively overseeing the situation to ensure that farmers encounter no difficulties.

Targeting the former Congress administration led by Bhupinder Hooda, the Chief Minister noted that during their decade-long governance, the focus on effective management diminished, resulting in farmers' hardships. He recounted that farmers had to endure waits of three to seven days outside ‘mandis’ to sell their products, dealt with gunny bag shortages, and often witnessed their crops becoming damaged due to rainfall, forcing them to procure tarpaulins at their own cost.

He further challenged the Congress to disclose how many warehouses were established during their term to protect crops. Issues such as procurement deductions, delayed payments, and minimal compensation of Rs 2 reflect the previous administration's indifference towards farmers, he stated.

Reiterating the government's commitment, the Chief Minister stated, “We will procure every single grain produced by our farmers. The Congress's policies failed to prioritize public welfare, instead serving narrow interests,” adding that the party has disconnected from the realities on the ground.

Highlighting the efforts made by the Centre, he remarked that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has maintained a clear focus on the welfare of the underprivileged, ensuring that government schemes reach every village and household, including those unable to access government facilities.

The Chief Minister noted that mustard procurement has been ongoing in the state since March 28. Up until now, 16,046 metric tons of mustard have been received in ‘mandis’, with 3,421 metric tons procured by government agencies, while the remainder was acquired by private traders. A total of 1,558 metric tons has been lifted from ‘mandis’.

He added that payments totaling Rs 4.94 crore have been directly transferred into farmers’ bank accounts via direct bank transfer at the minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 6,200 per quintal. Likewise, wheat procurement, which commenced on April 1, has seen the arrival of 17.37 lakh metric tons, with 3.92 lakh metric tons procured to date.