Haryana Congress submits memorandum to governor on farmers' issue, rising crime rates in state

Chandigarh, Nov 13 (PTI) A delegation of Haryana unit of Congress on Thursday submitted a memorandum to Governor Ashim Kumar Ghosh to draw his attention to the “serious situation in the state” and urged him to issue proper instructions to the state government.

The party delegation led by Leader of the Opposition in Haryana, Bhupinder Singh Hooda and State Congress president Rao Narender Singh raised the issues including losses suffered by the farmers due to recent heavy rains and "rising crime rate".

According to a party statement, the memorandum stated that the Haryana Pradesh Congress Legislature Party wanted to draw the governor's attention to the "serious situation in the state".

"The recent heavy rainfall across the state has caused significant damage to farmers' crops. Fields of paddy, cotton, and other Kharif crops have been submerged, causing severe economic hardship for farmers," the memorandum stated.

"Many farmers' crops have been completely destroyed, but the government is yet to conduct a proper survey or announce any concrete compensation. Excessive rains have already ruined this year's crop, and the waterlogging is still present, making it impossible to sow the next crop,” it added.

The delegation in the memorandum demanded that the government conduct a special survey and compensate farmers at the rate of Rs 50,000 to 60,000 per acre.

It pointed out that even though the BJP government talks about providing minimum support price (MSP) for 24 crops, "but this is completely unrealistic on the ground".

The Congress memorandum further noted that many crops, such as paddy, millet, green gram, and cotton, "are not receiving MSP at all".

"Farmers in Haryana are being forced to sell their paddy and millet for Rs 500 to 600 per quintal less than the MSP and complaints of widespread irregularities and scams in government paddy procurement have surfaced,” it added.

The delegation also noted that farmers have not received fair prices in many markets, while cases of fraudulent purchases and sales in some places have raised questions about transparency.

It also pointed out incidents of "severe fertilizer shortages and black marketing" and demanded that the entire matter be investigated by a sitting judge of the Haryana High Court.

The memorandum further highlighted that "crime is steadily increasing in the state", with murder, extortion, robbery, rape, theft, and drug-related incidents becoming common.

“The common citizen is feeling insecure. The central government itself says that more than 80 criminal gangs are active in Haryana, committing organised crime. Extortion demands from businessmen and professionals have become common and the citizens of the state have lost faith in law and order," it said.

The party demanded that the alleged suicides of Haryana police officers Y Puran Kumar and Sandeep Kumar committed last month be investigated impartially by the CBI under the supervision of a sitting High Court judge, "so that the people of the state know the truth and the culprits receive the harshest punishment".

Congress leaders said that it is the government's primary duty to ensure that the citizens of the state live in a peaceful environment, free from oppression, exploitation, or corruption, and that their lives and property are protected. However, the government is failing to fulfill its duty, they alleged.

They also said it is the governor's constitutional responsibility to ensure that the government operates within the framework defined in the Constitution and it discharges its duties, the statement added.

The delegation urged the Governor to issue appropriate instructions to the government to perform its duties with responsibility, compassion, and integrity. PTI SUN OZ OZ