Farmers being deprived of MSP for Paddy, Millet and Cotton: Former CM Hooda

Rohtak, September 22, 2025: Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said that paddy, millet, and cotton have begun arriving in mandis, but in the absence of government procurement; farmers are being compelled to sell their produce at distress prices, including paddy at Rs. 300–400 below MSP, millet at nearly Rs. 600 less, and cotton at around Rs. 2,000 less. He said that after facing the devastation of floods, farmers are now being forced to endure yet another blow at the hands of the government.

Talking to journalists in Rohtak, Hooda responded to a question on the INLD, saying that every party in a democracy has the freedom to conduct politics and organise programmes. However, parties usually try to present their achievements before the public through such events. He said the BJP and the INLD stand out as parties with no record of achievements to showcase. Former CM alleged that the INLD is functioning as a proxy for the BJP, since the BJP never contests the Congress directly, but instead relies on allies like the INLD and the JJP to split anti-BJP votes and mislead the public by manipulating sentiments.

Hooda said the BJP and the INLD lack any accomplishments to present and asked whether they would explain to the people the conditions of Haryana under their rule. He questioned what the situation of farmers was during that time and reminded that during the INLD regime, farmers were fired upon. He asked who was responsible for incidents such as the Meham massacre and who chose to flee in disguise instead of facing accountability.

Hooda further asked whether the INLD would explain why farmers’ lands were forcibly taken during its government, why debt-ridden farmers’ lands were confiscated, and why those farmers were arrested and imprisoned. He alleged that even the cost of feeding farmers while in jail was added to their debt burden.

He said the people of Haryana still remember that under the INLD-BJP regime, hooliganism was rampant and governance was virtually run from jail. Hooda said that it was the Congress government in 2005 that freed the state from this atmosphere of intimidation. The Congress, he added, waived electricity bills worth ₹1,600 crore for farmers, brought down the interest rate on crop loans to zero, waived ₹2,300 crore worth of loans, and introduced a policy ensuring that no farmer’s land would ever be confiscated. He challenged the INLD to present these truths to the public.

Turning his attention to the BJP, Hooda said the party had not fulfilled a single promise it made before the elections. The pledge of giving farmers ₹3,100 per quintal for paddy proved entirely hollow. Similarly, the promise of providing ₹2,100 monthly support to women also turned out to be a sham, as the government-imposed conditions that limited the scheme’s benefits to a select few.

Hooda said the BJP government deliberately delays every process, whether it be procurement, compensation, or fertiliser distribution. Surveys of flood-affected land are proceeding at a sluggish pace, with only 3 lakh acres verified so far out of a total 31 lakh acres reported damaged.

He urged the government to immediately conduct special land surveys and provide financial relief to farmers, saying that the complications created through portals are designed solely to deny compensation. He pointed out that when it comes to registering cases of stubble burning, the government relies on satellite imagery. He questioned why the same technology cannot be used to identify flooded fields and compensate affected farmers.

Recalling the floods of 1995, Hooda said that the then Congress government had provided direct cash compensation to farmers for every kind of loss, including crops, farm structures, tube wells, houses, and shops.