Anurag Dhanda: Senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and National Media Incharge Anurag Dhanda on Monday launched a sharp attack on the BJP-led Haryana government, accusing it of cheating farmers during the paddy procurement season.
Anurag Dhanda Slams Haryana BJP Government Over Paddy Procurement at Below MSP
Dhanda alleged that although the government formally started paddy procurement today, the entire process was nothing more than a showpiece. He pointed out that farmers were denied the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and proper facilities in the mandis.
“This year, the Centre has fixed paddy MSP at ₹2,389 per quintal, but farmers in Haryana are being forced to sell their crop at ₹1,500 per quintal. This is nothing short of open loot. Instead of ensuring farmers get their rightful dues, the government has left them at the mercy of middlemen,” Dhanda said.
Highlighting the hardships faced by farmers
Highlighting the hardships faced by farmers, he noted that waterlogging has already reduced crop yields across thousands of acres this season. “Despite heavy investment and hard work, the little produce that farmers managed is now being sold dirt cheap in the mandis. First a natural disaster, and now government negligence—this is a double blow to our farmers,” he remarked.
Dhanda further said that while procurement has been assigned to agencies like Hafed, no timely allocation of rice mills has been made so far. “If arrivals increase and mills are not allocated quickly, paddy will rot in the mandis, causing massive losses to farmers. This proves the government’s preparedness is zero,” he added.
He also flagged mismanagement in several mandis, where farmers struggled due to shortages of bardana (gunny bags), lack of proper weighing machines, and extremely slow procurement processes. Farmers, he said, were left waiting for hours without any support from the administration.
“The Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and his BJP government are completely disconnected from the pain of farmers,” Dhanda stated. He contrasted the situation with Punjab, where paddy procurement has been backed by stronger arrangements. “In Haryana, after waterlogging reduced yields, farmers now face MSP violations and chaotic mandis. This is the biggest betrayal of farmers by the government.”
