Banning sale of wheat residue outside state dictatorial decision: Congress

The Congress on Sunday hit out at the BJP-led Haryana government, saying the decision to ban the sale of wheat residue, which is used as cattle fodder, outside the state is a "dictatorial" decision.

"The BJP-JJP government is bent on punishing farmers for its failures. Every day the government is harassing farmers by taking anti-farmer decisions," said state Congress president Kumari Selja.

"Banning the sale of tudi' (wheat residue) outside the state was a dictatorial decision. This decision should be withdrawn immediately," she said in a statement here.

She said the government had issued orders that it will be ensured that no farmer sell his wheat residue outside the state and if anyone disobeys the order, legal action will be taken against him.

" The dictatorial decision of the government is not tolerable," she added.

Selja said due to early arrival of summer and heatwave conditions prevailing over past few weeks, the wheat production had decreased this time.

Farmers first suffered a lot due to rain and hailstorm earlier and now due to the sudden increase in temperature in March and April, their crop yield had decreased, she said.

"But the government did not provide any relief to them. Now, if farmer was selling the wheat residue so that he could get some income, in that too he is facing hurdles. Instead of giving relief to farmers, the government is harassing them by taking such decisions," she said.

In a separate statement, former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda also criticised the move.

Hooda said tractor-trailers of farmers are being stopped forcibly by the government officials everywhere and added the farmer should have the freedom to sell his cattle fodder anywhere.

"The BJP-JJP government, which talks about one country-one market, is now objecting to selling fodder to others. The government should take back this dictatorial decision taken against the farmers, otherwise, the opposition will oppose it at every level," said Hooda.

Hooda said farmers have already suffered huge losses in the wheat season due to unseasonal rains and early arrival of summer.

"The entire crop of the farmer was ruined in some places and some farmers are compensating for their loss by selling fodder in such a situation but the government is also snatching this right from the farmers," he said.

"On the other hand, the government is neither lifting wheat in the mandis nor is the coalition government paying farmers on time for the crop procured," Hooda, who is the Leader of Opposition, alleged.