Former CM Hooda Slams BJP Over Power Crisis, Farmers’ Losses; Says Every Section Is Suffering

Rohtak, October 25: Former Haryana chief minister and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Sunday accused the BJP government of failing on all fronts, alleging that farmers, labourers, employees, traders, women and other sections of society were bearing the brunt of its policies.

Speaking to media persons at his residence, Hooda said the government had failed to manage the economy, law and order and power supply, citing the three-day electricity disruption and the ongoing distress among farmers.

Blaming the state government for the power crisis, he alleged that the proposed privatisation of electricity distribution in Gurugram and Nuh was aimed at benefiting a private company. He said he had raised concerns over the move in the Assembly but the government had ignored them.

“Who will compensate people for the losses suffered during the three-day disruption?” Hooda asked, alleging that the government had opposed neither the privatisation plan nor its potential impact on consumers until employees protested. He said the Congress would oppose any renewed attempt to privatise power distribution, claiming it could jeopardise electricity subsidies for farmers.

Targeting the government over agricultural procurement, Hooda said farmers continued to face delays in the purchase and lifting of paddy and bajra from mandis. He alleged that repeated rainfall had damaged produce and caused substantial losses to farmers and commission agents, with lakhs of metric tonnes of paddy reportedly getting submerged in mandis across the state.

He further alleged that inadequate procurement was forcing farmers to sell their produce below the minimum support price (MSP). According to him, paddy was being sold at around Rs 400 per quintal below MSP, while bajra fetched Rs 800-900 less per quintal.

Hooda claimed that Haryana had slipped from its earlier position as a leading state in per capita income, investment and employment generation under Congress rule. He accused the BJP government of allowing unemployment, corruption and crime to rise.

Citing reports on state finances and social progress, Hooda said Haryana's fiscal position had deteriorated, with the state ranking 14th among 18 states, according to a NITI Aayog report, while a central government's Social Progress Index had identified Haryana as the country's most unsafe state.