India News | Dushyant Chautala Attacks Saini Govt on Farmers' Issue

Chandigarh, Mar 20 (PTI) Days after the JJP and the BJP walked separate ways, former Haryana deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala on Wednesday targeted the Nayab Singh Saini government on farmers' issue, saying the procurement season has begun but the present dispensation does not seem to be serious about the farmers.

JJP leader Chautala alleged the government was neither able to provide compensation to the farmers for crop loss due to the recent heavy rains and hailstorm before the Model Code of Conduct came into force with announcement of elections nor it was taking any decision regarding the procurement of the crops.

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He was speaking to reporters here after former MLA Rao Bahadur Singh joined the JJP leaving the Congress.

"Now farmers will have to wait for 90 days for compensation for crop damage (till general elections process is over)," Chautala said.

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"The new government has also not been able to make arrangements for the purchase of the crops despite their arrival in the mandis. Even whether mustard will be purchased on MSP or through 'Bhavantar Bharpayee Yojana', which agency will purchase it and how, have not been decided," he said.

Chautala demanded that Chief Minister Saini make immediate arrangements for crop procurement in the interest of farmers.

"I would want from Nayab Singh Saini that he should sit in Chandigarh and take a decision. More than his (election) tours in the state, procurement is important. If that does not happen smoothly, farmers will get affected," he said.

He also said that when the JJP was part of the coalition government, farmers did not have to worry about anything during the past four-and-a-half years. Chautala said that crops were purchased on time and about Rs 1 lakh crore was paid directly into the accounts of farmers.

"For four-and-a-half years, we worked for Haryana's interest," he said.

The BJP last week replaced Khattar with OBC leader Saini as Haryana's chief minister in a swift switch in the state, just weeks ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

After this development took place, the JJP made it clear that it would not be part of the new government formation, Chautala reiterated.

He said that he heard Saini's statement that BJP's alliance with the JJP was for running the government and not contesting elections. If that was the case, why the JJP was called for NDA meetings earlier, Chautala asked.

Referring to Saini replacing Khattar as CM, he said, "We decided the JJP will be not part of the formation of new government and also not be part of NDA".

Talking about the Saini government's Cabinet expansion carried out on Tuesday, Chautala said that it has dashed the hopes of the Independents who were supporting the BJP government.

Of the six Independents who support the government, only Ranjit Singh Chautala has got a Cabinet berth. He was a minister in the previous Khattar-led government also.

"For past four-and-a-half years, the Independent MLAs have been waiting that their turn will come, but it has become clear after yesterday's Cabinet expansion that this is not going to happen," he said.

Asked that senior BJP leader and former minister Anil Vij has aired some grievances about his own party, Chautala said, "Vij sahab was a senior cabinet colleague. We used to sit together in the Vidhan Sabha. Why BJP took this decision, they will be able to tell."

On the Haryana Assembly elections due in October, Chautala, while referring to his party's poll symbol 'key', said that in the last elections, they had said, "The key to open the lock rests with us (JJP's support will be needed for any party to form the govt in 2019).

"Is baar tala bhi hum layenge aur chabi bhi hamari hogi (This time we will come to power on our own)," he said, while adding that party workers are working hard to ensure this.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)