Former Haryana chief minister and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Tuesday visited the Hansi grain market and interacted with farmers, labourers and commission agents as part of his ongoing tour of mandis across the state.
During the visit, Hooda listened to grievances raised by stakeholders and held discussions with officials, urging them to streamline procurement arrangements and address logistical problems faced by farmers.
Addressing a press conference later, Hooda criticised the BJP government over wheat procurement figures. He said that during the Congress government in 2013, more than 8.7 million metric tonnes of wheat were procured, while the current government has fixed this year’s target at only 7.2 million metric tonnes despite similar production levels.
He alleged that farmers were facing payment delays ranging from five to eight days. According to him, out of ₹2,714 crore payable to farmers, only ₹741 crore has been released so far, leaving nearly ₹1,972 crore pending.
Hooda said around 8 million metric tonnes of wheat are expected to arrive in mandis this season. Nearly 2.5 million metric tonnes are still awaiting procurement, while another 2.7 million metric tonnes remain in markets pending lifting. Only about 1.6 million metric tonnes have been lifted so far, leading to severe space shortages in grain markets and forcing farmers to store produce on roadsides and in fields.
He further alleged that multiple procedural requirements — including portal registration, biometric verification, gate passes and guarantor conditions — have complicated procurement and slowed down operations.
Responding to a question on women’s reservation, Hooda said the legislation passed in 2023 should have been implemented immediately. He claimed the BJP delayed implementation by linking it to the delimitation process and added that the Congress had historically supported women’s political reservation initiatives.
Commenting on a recent incident involving the police interception of a former deputy chief minister’s convoy, Hooda alleged that regional parties were acting as proxies of the BJP and engaging in “political drama” to mislead the public.
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