Chandigarh: The General Secretary of the All India Congress Committee former Union Minister, and Member of Parliament from Sirsa Kumari Selja said that while the BJP claims to be a farmer-friendly party they are at the forefront of ignoring farmers interests. Wheat procurement is scheduled to begin from April 1, but there has been no preparation yet. Tenders for gunny bags and wheat lifting have not been issued, and in the markets, there are no proper arrangements for drinking water, and the street lights are not working. The government has been making announcements, but nothing is visible on the ground. The state government should take strict steps in this direction and focus on the convenience of farmers.

In a statement to released the media, Kumari Selja said that this time, the government is playing with farmers under the name of mustard procurement. Officers are acting arbitrarily, with no procurement happening in Ambala, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Yamunanagar, and Kaithal on Sunday. Where procurement has taken place, lifting has either not been done or is happening at a very slow pace, causing trouble for farmers. In the Hisar grain market, 12,149 quintals of mustard were procured, but only 3,000 quintals were lifted. There is widespread mismanagement in the market, with no proper arrangements for drinking water and street lights. The situation in Fatehabad’s markets is similar, where mustard lifting has not been done in most places. In Sirsa’s market, half of the mustard purchased has not been lifted. While the traders are facing problems, the farmers are suffering even more. The situation is similarly poor in Charkhi Dadri and Panipat, with the facilities farmers should be receiving in the markets remaining confined to paper only.

Kumari Selja said that the state government claims to have completed preparations for the procurement of wheat, mustard, barley, gram, lentils, and sunflower for the Rabi season 2025-26. This year, a bumper wheat harvest is expected. The procurement will be handled by the Food & Supply Consumer Affairs Department (30%), HAFED (40%), Haryana State Warehousing Corporation (20%), and the Food Corporation of India (10%). Wheat, barley, and gram procurement will start from April 1, while sunflower procurement will begin in June. Despite the government claiming full preparation for wheat procurement, tenders for gunny bags and wheat lifting have not been issued. The payment for mustard procurement is also delayed. Farmers bringing their crops to the market should receive basic facilities such as proper drinking water arrangements and attention to street lights.

Kumari Selja said that the central government’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) expressing dissatisfaction with the Public Works Department (PWD) officers’ mismanagement in the operations of the Hisar Airport, and dismissing them, is a matter of shame for the state government. The runway and boundary wall at Hisar Airport were constructed by the PWD. The DGCA has alleged that the boundary wall worth Rs 180 crores was built without a foundation. The DGCA officials recommended that the Haryana government’s PWD should no longer be given any work at the airport. From now on, all work at the airport will be supervised by the Airport Authority of India. The actions of the PWD officers should be investigated impartially, and the guilty should be punished.