Farmers forced to come out on streets for everything under BJP-JJP govt: INLD's Abhay Chautala

Chandigarh: Indian National Lok Dal leader Abhay Singh Chautala on Tuesday attacked the ruling BJP saying the farmers today are forced to come out on streets for everything, be it purchase of some crop, or loss of compensation for another.

The BJP-JJP coalition government has put the farmers in such a condition today that they are forced to block roads and agitate for everything, Abhay Chautala, the lone MLA from his party, said in Haryana Assembly here.

Whether it is about the purchase of sunflower, or about the purchase of mustard, or about the compensation for the loss of millet, they get no comfort from the government, he said.

Abhay Chautala in the assembly on Tuesday gave a 'Calling Attention' notice regarding the demand of compensation for the Kharif crop under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana.

He said the farmers have been sitting on a dharna in Chopta tehsil for insurance money due to them, but Agriculture Minister J P Dalal says the farmers have ended the strike, which is not true, he claimed.

Dalal in his turn claimed that since the beginning opposition leaders tried to mislead the farmers saying the Fasal Bima Yojana was "anti-farmer" but in truth thousands benefited from the scheme.

"This scheme is voluntary. Still, more and more farmers are opting for it. Had it not been in their benefit, why would they opt for it?" asked the Minister.

He said that the scheme is implemented in three clusters, with seven districts each in cluster I and II, and eight in cluster III.

He said under the scheme, the farmers' share of premium is 2 per cent of the total sum insured for Kharif crop, 1.5 per cent for Rabi, and 5 per cent for horticulture and commercial crops.