Withdraw curbs on paddy cultivation in toto: Cong to Haryana govt

The Haryana Congress on Thursday demanded a complete withdrawal of restrictions on paddy cultivation in parts of the state while terming the orders draconian. Senior Congress leaders Randeep Singh Surjewala and Kumari Selja said though the state government now claims that the orders restricting paddy cultivation to 50 per cent of cultivable area in 19 blocks is "advisory" in nature, the restrictions on the panchayat land in 26 blocks stay.

Though it indicates the softening of stance after the Congress Party mounted pressure and farmers protested, the order of May 9 should be withdrawn in toto, they said. Earlier this week, farmers from Fatehabad had taken out a tractor march against the restrictions on paddy cultivation.

The government came out with new instructions two days ago as per which crop diversification will not be compulsory in the 19 blocks where groundwater has fallen below 40 metres. Rather, the government will encourage farmers to adopt other crops for which it will provide incentives.

However, the restrictions on paddy cultivation on the panchayat land in 26 blocks remain. As per the May 9 orders, farmers of the 19 blocks were required to cultivate alternative crops on 50 per cent of their cultivable area, said Surjewala, who along with Haryana Congress president Selja addressed a digital press conference Thursday evening.

He said under the government orders, only those opting for crop diversification were eligible to get subsidy from the Agriculture Department. He said the government orders had said state agencies would not procure paddy from the farmers who did not go for crop diversification.

Surjewala also raised questions about the new instructions, saying, "Who issued these? They bear no signature and name of the department. It is a simple piece of paper." On the earlier order, he said, "The order of May 9 was issued by the Director, Agriculture. And, we all understand the difference between an order of the government and an advisory. But it seems the chief minister does not understand the difference". "Our demands are clear, the government should withdraw its draconian order of May 9 in toto by which it prohibited cultivation of paddy on 5 lakh acres," Surjewala said.

"They must withdraw the order which prohibited paddy cultivation on the panchayat land in 26 blocks," he added, asking who gave the government the right to impose restrictions on the panchayat land, on which small and marginal farmers do farming. "When panchayats have not passed any resolution, how could the government take the illegal decision," he asked.

He demanded that Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar should tender an unconditional apology to Haryana farmers for 'misleading and maltreating' them. Replying to a question, Selja said, "If raising farmers' and people's issue is playing politics, then be it. As the opposition party, we will continue to raise people's issues." On Wednesday, former Haryana chief minister and Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda threatened to launch a statewide agitation from next month if the government did not lift restrictions on paddy cultivation in parts of the state.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)