Govt to procure entire mustard produce: CM

Deepender Deswal
Tribune News Service
Hisar, April 5

To quell resentment among farmers, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has said the entire mustard produce will be procured at the Minimum Support Price (MSP).

“The Centre has agreed to purchase 40 per cent of the produce, while the state government will procure the remaining stock,” he said at a “vikas sankalp” rally in the district’s Kaimari village on Friday.

The BJP government, the Chief Minister said, ensured 100 per cent procurement of all crops at the “profitable MSP”.

“The BJP has protected the interests of farmers by implementing pro-farmer decisions such as crop insurance scheme. Compare this with the UPA government’s performance. Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda failed to get Swaminathan Commission recommendations implemented when he was heading the Sub-group of Chief Ministers,” Khattar said.

He further said his government had ushered in transparency in governance, which was evident from sifarish-free government jobs. “If there is any laxity in governance, we are committed to improving and making amends.”

The Chief Minister lashed out at the Congress for coming out with a manifesto that promised to repeal the sedition law. “The BJP will never let this happen. Do you want people trying to split the country be given immunity to do so? We cannot let such persons go scot-free,” he added.

State BJP president Subhash Barala, who was also present at the rally, said: “Opposition parties are unable to stand the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But people are committed to make Modi Prime Minister again.”

Finance Minister Capt Abhimanyu, Hisar MLA Kamal Gupta, Nalwa MLA Ranbir Gangwa and Confed chairman Capt Bhupinder.

Farmers protest non-procurement  

Mahendragarh: Farmers on Friday organised a demonstration by closing the main gate of the local grain market and raised slogans against the district authorities for non-procurement of mustard. “Mustard is not being procured in the Mahendragarh grain market for the past three days while the district authorities are making tall claims of buying every seed of the produce. Our mustard is lying at the market but no official is coming to procure it,” said a protesting farmer, adding that they had to hold the protest to attract the attention of the state government towards their plight.He said farmers had also called on the Mahendragarh SDM and requested him to get the procurement initiated, but to no avail. TNS