Haryana CM refuses crops from outside, insists ‘we’ve to care about our farmers’

Amid a raging controversy over the new farm laws, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has refused to procure crops from other states, saying his government has to care about its farmers and “doesn’t have to bother about other states.”

Khattar’s video statement on September 17 while praising the farm laws, are being widely shared on social media. His views go against the farm laws which promise barrier-free trade at markets to ensure prices of the farmers’ choice.

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“We will ensure that maize and bajra of Haryana farmers are completely bought. We won’t allow a situation where farmers from other states will benefit by selling it in our state. We have to care about the farmers of our state. We don’t have to worry about other states,” he said.

He accused the Congress of politicizing the issue. The opposition has criticized the manner in which the three key farm bills were passed in parliament and alleged that the Bills were pushed through voice vote in violation of the rules.

Khattar said Congress-ruled states, Punjab and Rajasthan, are not procuring crops such as maize and bajra on the Minimum Support Price (MSP), forcing farmers to sell their harvest in Haryana.

“The Congress is making it political. But I have a question for them. Why are their governments in Punjab and Rajasthan not doing this (procure maize and bajra)? We will not procure maize and bajra from other states because it’s us who incur the losses. This is the share of the farmers of Haryana,” he said.

On Monday, around 50 farmers from Uttar Pradesh were stopped from entering Haryana’s Karnal district to sell their paddy crop at government-run mandis (wholesale markets). Such measures came at a time when the three farm Bills were given the President’s assent to become laws.

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Farmers’ protests have erupted against the new laws, especially in Punjab and Haryana, which are considered the grain bowl of the country.

The MSP, which is the minimum rate at which the government buys food grains, is at the core of widespread protests against the farm law, with some farmers believing the MSP has been abolished by the Centre and that they would now be left to deal with powerful corporates who will insist on paying lower rates.