Anurag Dhanda: Speaking to reporters this week, Anurag Dhanda didn’t hold back. He asked a straightforward question: if the Punjab government can compensate its flood-hit farmers with ₹20,000 per acre, what’s stopping the Haryana government from doing the same?
According to Dhanda, the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government has shown that when political will aligns with public interest, farmers don’t have to beg for relief. He said Punjab’s response to crop loss caused by floods and extreme weather is a textbook example of governance that listens.
“When Punjab can honour its farmers with fair compensation, why is Haryana lagging behind?” he asked.
Growing Anger in Rural Haryana
Farmers in Haryana are frustrated and not just with the weather. Dhanda highlighted that despite repeated crop damage year after year, Haryana’s farmers are still getting short-changed when it comes to compensation.
He alleged that the BJP-led government in the state seems more interested in optics than action. According to him, many farmers are forced to wait for long surveys, face portal glitches, and ultimately receive too little or, worse, nothing at all.
“These aren’t just failed crops. These are shattered lives. A single missed season can put an entire family into debt,” he said.
A Political Flashpoint Before Polls
With elections inching closer in Haryana, Dhanda’s comments are being seen as more than just criticism; they’re part of a bigger shift in the rural mood. While the BJP defends its compensation model, Dhanda is framing Punjab’s ₹20,000 per acre relief as the standard to match.
And it’s striking a chord, especially in districts badly hit by heavy rainfall and waterlogging.
Farmers’ Unions Back the Demand
It’s not just a political debate anymore. Farmer unions have joined the call, demanding that Haryana’s compensation structure be re-evaluated. According to them, the current payments do not cover losses, let alone help farmers recover, let alone rental payments for seeds, fertilizer, and diesel, and rent, whose diesel payments and rental payments are soaring.
Will there be action from Haryana?
It is no longer just an issue of the bottom line for the Haryana government. It is increasingly about extending respect for the honor and hard work of those who cultivate the land to match the compensation Haryana pays to Punjab.
