Haryana Agriculture Minister J P Dalal on Thursday said that farmers will be given compensation in May for crop damage caused by recent unseasonal rains and hailstorms in various parts of the state.

Targeting opposition parties, mainly Congress, he said they should stop misleading farmers and claimed that the BJP-led government was "pro-farmer" which always thinks about the welfare of peasants.

Dalal told reporters here that currently wheat and mustard procurement was going on in the mandis in the state.

"It is true that unseasonal rains and hailstorms have recently caused damage to the crops but the government stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the farmers. 'Special girdawari' (field inspection) will be completed this month and compensation will be given to farmers in May," he said.

He said that in the 'girdwari' process, farmers and revenue officials are involved. Besides, drones are also used. The field inspections to assess crop damage was going on in a transparent manner, he added.

Congress leader and former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda claimed that the 'girdawari' has so far been done for hardly 10 per cent of the damaged crop.

"Wheat harvesting has started. In such a situation, how long will the girdawari be done and when will the farmers get compensation?," Hooda asked.

Attacking the Congress, Dalal said, "those who raise questions on the systems we have put in place for farmers' benefits did not give even Rs 1,000 crore as (crop damage) compensation when they were in power for ten years. Whereas, we have given Rs 4,000 crore so far".

"They only try to find shortcomings in the systems we have put in place," he said.

Congress has also been claiming that various portals started by the government were only putting farmers to hassles.

"Our policies are pro-farmer, we have given highest compensation for crop damage, we procure several crops at MSP, we make direct payment into the accounts of peasants and we give them better facilities in mandis," Dalal said.

He wondered "what did farmers get" during the Congress government led by Hooda.

Meanwhile, Dalal said the government is expecting 80-90 lakh metric tonnes of wheat purchase this year as against 41-42 lakh metric tonnes last year.

"We have made all necessary arrangements for smooth procurement in our mandis," he said.

So far, he said that around 17.85 lakh metric tonnes of wheat have arrived in the mandis, out of which 13,97,516 metric tonnes have been procured by the government agencies.

Source - https://www.business-standard.com