'Girdawari' ordered to assess crop loss due to hailstorm: Haryana CM Saini

'Girdawari' ordered to assess crop loss due to hailstorm: Haryana CM Saini

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Saturday said a 'girdawari' has been ordered to assess the crop damage caused by hailstorm in order to compensate the affected farmers.

Rains accompanied by hailstorm and strong winds lashed many places in Punjab and Haryana on Friday.

The chief minister on Saturday took stock of crops damaged by hailstorm at Indri in Karnal.

''Instructions have been given to officers and all 'patwaris' to take stock of crops and get 'girdawari' done immediately for whatever damage has occurred so that compensation can be given to farmers as soon as possible,'' said Saini in a post on X.

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Saturday alleged that the BJP government's ''negligence'' has once again ''ruined'' the hard work of farmers.

Hooda, who is the leader of opposition, claimed there is ''chaos'' in the mandis because of untimely rains.

The former chief minister alleged that despite repeated demands, the government did not make smooth purchases in the mandis nor made arrangements for tarpaulins and gunny bags to protect the crops from rain.

''Farmers have been waiting for their turn for many days. There was no arrangement for regular purchase and lifting in the markets. Due to lack of offtake, farmers are not being paid,'' Hooda said in a statement.

''The reality of the government claiming payment within 72 hours has once again been exposed,'' he added.

Hooda said that the government kept ''sleeping'' despite the advance warning given by the Meteorological Department.

''Due to lack of lifting, the markets are filled with grains. Under compulsion, the farmers are forced to dump their wheat on the roads,'' he said.

The Congress leader said the farmers, who suffered losses due to rain should be compensated by the government.

''To reduce the problems of farmers, the moisture relaxation limit should also be increased,'' he added.

Meanwhile, Haryana Chief Secretary TVSN Prasad directed the deputy commissioners to promptly survey crops damaged by hailstorm to ensure timely compensation for the affected farmers.

He emphasised that farmers' satisfaction is paramount.

The chief secretary was reviewing the ongoing procurement activities during the Rabi marketing season in Haryana with the DCs, officers from the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs department, representatives from the Food Corporation of India and various other agencies, according to an official release.

Prasad stressed the need to expedite the lifting of stocks from the mandis insisting that at least 50 per cent of the stocks be promptly transferred to the godowns by Sunday evening.

He directed the DCs to facilitate dialogue between the commission agents and farmers, urging the farmers to refrain from bringing their crops to the mandis to clear space for wheat arrivals.

The chief secretary also said the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs department has also authorised the district authorities to utilize vehicles owned by commission agents (Arhatis) for transporting crops from the mandis to warehouses.

They will be paid rates already approved by the department for hiring such vehicles. This initiative aims to bolster the availability of transportation resources and expedite the uptake process, he added.

He asked the administrative secretaries and the DCs, along with officers involved in Rabi crop procurement, to make the payment to farmers within 72 hours.

Prasad gave clear directions to the officers that farmers should not face any problem in selling their crops and payment for the crops should be ensured within the stipulated period under all circumstances.

The chief secretary mentioned that for the convenience of the farmers, silos have also been made procurement centers where the farmers can directly take their crops to sell.

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