Haryana to withdraw cases against farmers

All the cases registered against farmers in various agitations in Haryana during the previous governments would be withdrawn within next 30 days, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced today.
The CM stated this while addressing a seminar on 'Crop Insurance Schemes and Risk Management' here.
He said that all the cases registered against the farmers which were "politically motivated" would be withdrawn.
When asked to comment on the number of such cases, an official spokesman said the details were being worked out.
Khattar also said that recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission would be implemented in Haryana in a phased manner, according to an official release here.

Among other recommendations, the Commission favours paying price above 50 per cent cost of produce to the farmers.

Opposition parties including the Congress and AAP had recently slammed the BJP government for not implementing the recommendations of the Commission, despite its pre-poll promise, claiming BJP had "betrayed" the farmers.
Khattar said that efforts would be made to reduce the cost of production so as to increase the profit of farmers.
Representatives of various Farmers' Associations and progressive farmers from all over the State participated in the seminar.
The Chief Minister urged the farmers to remain vigilant from the "vested interests and not to be influenced by their false propaganda".

Khattar said that being a farmer's son, he very well understands their problems.
He expressed concern that 80 per cent population of the state which was earlier engaged in agriculture activities has now reduced to 70 per cent.
"The land holding has been shrinking and has been divided within the family. To ensure a profitable income to the farmers, the State Government is promoting crop diversification and encouraging the farmers to adopt horticulture, floriculture, fisheries, bee keeping and dairy farming etc," he said.