Khattar hits out at opposition, says crop procurement going smoothly

Haryana Chief Minister M L Khattar on Wednesday slammed the opposition parties on farmers' issues, saying they were unnecessarily raising eyebrows when crop procurement was going on smoothly.

Crop procurement was going on smoothly, he asserted at a news briefing in the evening held through video-conferencing.

They are unnecessarily raising eyebrows, he said when asked about the opposition's claims of mismanagement in wheat and mustard procurement.

The chief minister said e-procurement had been done by linking the entire procurement process with 'Meri Fasal, Mera Byora' portal which has also brought absolute transparency in the process.

He added that payments were being transferred to the farmers' accounts in five-six days.

The chief minister said during the lockdown period, the state government launched a new 'Mera Paani, Mera Virasat' scheme aimed to conserve water.

He said the opposition's criticism to this scheme was not justified as water was a meagre resource and its requirement for judicious use has to be factored for agricultural purpose, drinking water and industrial use.

Notably, the Congress has said that under the scheme, farmers in several blocks will not be allowed to sow (water-guzzling) paddy and the state government cannot thrust upon them its choice to grow alternate crops like maize and cotton.

However, Khattar said that water levels have depleted below 40 metres in many blocks, adding, We must conserve water for future generations.

He said alternative crops, including maize and pulses, would be procured at the Minimum Support Price.

Khattar said under the 'Mukhya Mantri Parivar Samridhi Yojna' (MMPSY), financial assistance is being given to 16 lakh poor families.

On migrant labourers, he said the state government had made arrangements to send them back to their home states.

We have so far sent nearly 1.25 lakh migrants back to their native places, he said, adding that as the state government has gradually restarted economic activities, many among the migrants who are still in the state have expressed willingness to stay.

The chief minister said the state government was stopping those who were crossing into Haryana on foot or other means and they were being kept at relief camps, where all arrangements were being made to provide food and shelter to them.

Further arrangements for sending these migrant labourers to their home states in a phased manner will be made, he added.

Khattar said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pitched for the use of products manufactured in the country and has also said the novel coronavirus outbreak has taught us the importance of local manufacturing, local market and local supply chain.

There was a time when there used to be a craze for foreign things, but today we will have to reverse it, he said.

On contributions received in the 'Haryana Corona Relief Fund', Khattar said so far out of total donations of 216.17 crore, Rs 41 crore has been used on medicines, Rs 17.88 crore for labourers working in unorganised sectors, Rs 10 crore has been kept in reserve for giving ex-gratia, while Rs 1.94 crore has been paid towards sending labourers in trains.