Omar Abdullah, opposition to the diversion of surplus water to Punjab, Is Deeply Unfortunate and Insensitive
Chandigarh, 5 February : The so-calledfarmer-friendly Aam Aadmi Party governs Punjab.The farmers cultivating cauliflower there must sell the vegetable at Rs 1 per kg.Meanwhile, their counterparts in the neighboring state of Haryana are selling the same cauliflower at Rs 7.50 per kg under the Bharatiya Janta Party government.
Haryana’s Bhavantar Scheme Helps Farmers
Under the Bhavantar Bharpayee Scheme of the Haryana Government, farmers are selling at Rs 7.50 per kg where the state government pays for the gap between the actual price and MSP. This clearly shows how the BJP always stands with the farmer brothers. Vineet Joshi is the State Media Head of Punjab Bharatiya Janta Party. He is also the former Media Advisor to Chief Minister Punjab. Vineet Joshi disclosed this in a press statement today.
Joshi provided detailed information about the plight of the farmers of Punjab. He said that authorities have forced the farmers to plough the cauliflower planted on about 55,000 acres in Punjab. The farmers are not receiving the crop value in line with the input costs in cauliflower cultivation. They cannot even cover the expenses of harvesting the crop or taking it for marketing.
Joshi said that earlier, the pea crop got destroyed in the state. The Punjab government did not give any compensation. He added that the BJP government at the center sent Rs 44,000 crore for the purchase of paddy. After this, there was a cut in the price of paddy in the markets of Punjab. Despite this, the anti-farmer AAP government of Punjab remained silent.
He added that the farmers of Punjab cultivating cauliflower have had to face huge losses continuously in the year 2023. They faced the same situation again in the year 2024. The same is the condition of farmers cultivating potatoes and tomatoes.
He expressed concern about the Aam Aadmi Party. They claim to be farmer-friendly, but they exhibit dual characters. Its ministers, parliamentarians, and leaders are leading a dual life on the farmer front. This is evident because the party supports the dharna of farmer organizations at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders. Meanwhile, within the state, its farmers are in the doldrums. The party is mum on vegetable cultivators facing difficulties for the past two years.
Haryana’s MSP Support for Vegetables and Fruits; Punjab Urged to Follow
On the other hand, the BJP government of Haryana has been continuously providing MSP on 16 vegetables to the farmers of Haryana since 2018 under the Bhavantar Bharpayee Scheme. These include tomato, onion, potato, cauliflower, lady’s finger, bottle gourd, bitter gourd, brinjal, carrot, cabbage, chili, capsicum, peas, MSP on radish along with two spices turmeric garlic and 5 fruits mango, guava, kinnow, plum, and litchi is already being given.
Joshi demanded Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to immediately give compensation of Rs 7.50 per kg to cauliflower farmers and said that if the Punjab government thinks about the interests of its farmers then it should also bring a Bhavantar Bharpai Yojana on the lines of the Haryana Government in Punjab.