Opposition corners BJP-JJP govt over farmer issue

The opposition Congress and the INLD cornered the BJP-JJP government in Haryana on Tuesday over issues concerning farmers, unemployment and law and order during the first session of the 14th Vidhan Sabha.

Participating in a debate on the governor's address, former chief minister and Leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda raised problems faced by farmers during the procurement process.

He said farmers were facing difficulties in selling the cotton crop.

On the pretest of "moisture cut", farmers were being paid between Rs 150 and Rs 200 less per quintal for paddy, he claimed.

Hooda also took a dig at the government's promise of doubling farmers' income.

"Recently, I went to a mandi where potato crop fetched a mere 9 paise per kg. Now, if the crop fetches 18 paise later, they may say that farmers' income has doubled," Hooda said.

Hooda also said in the name of pollution, farmers were being defamed.

"Abusing and blaming farmers for this (pollution) is not right," he said referring to stubble burning.

Indian National Lok Dal leader Abhay Chautala said though the government talked of doubling farmers' income by 2022, cotton and bajra crops were not being procured.

Reminding the promise of Rs 11,000 monthly assistance to unemployed youth by the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), Chautala sought to know from the BJP whether it would fulfill the promises made by its ally.

The INLD leader also targeted the government over the "rising crime graph" in the state.

He said the government often talked about its "Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao" campaign, but failed to trace the 13-year-old girl who was allegedly kidnapped from a village in Bawal 496 days ago.

Senior Congress leader and Tosham MLA Kiran Choudhary, while talking to reporters outside the assembly, said the governor's address was supposed to spell out the government's vision but it only "showed the emptiness in action".

"The government does not talk about relief from debt for farmers, no price enhancement of crops…," she said.

She said farmers of Haryana were being blamed for burning stubble but the government had not come out with any concrete solution to address the issue.

"The government should take remedial steps and frame laws on the use of stubble in some other productive ways," she said.