Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday said that the State Government is pro-farmer and agriculture and farmers continue to be the focal points of state policies, with numerous ongoing welfare schemes aimed at benefiting the farming community.

“The government has been constantly implementing continuous welfare schemes for farmers, benefiting them,” said Khattar, paying tribute to the former Prime Minister and farmer leader Chaudhary Charan Singh, popularly referred to as the ‘Champion of Farmers’ on his birth anniversary.

Khattar, addressing a gathering at ‘Anndata Sammelan’ in Singhani village of Bhiwani district, highlighted the exceptional dedication of Chaudhary Charan Singh to the cause of farmers. He noted the leader's bold decision to part ways with Congress in 1967 to establish a new political entity exclusively focused on the well-being of farmers.

“Chaudhary Charan Singh advocated for tailoring all government schemes to benefit small and marginal farmers, who constituted 51 percent of total farmer population at that time. Today, the number of small farmers has surpassed 80 percent, presenting a formidable challenge that requires collective efforts to enhance the income of farmers,” he said, while cautioning the farmers to identify such individuals involved in politics by staging protests and blocking roads in the name of farmers.

The state’s Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Jai Parkash Dalal said that discussions should be held with the Central Government to grant Scheduled Caste (SC) status to the ‘Nayak’ community. “On the national level, a ‘Kisan Ratna’ award should be instituted in the name of Chaudhary Charan Singh, similar to the Bharat Ratna award,” he said, while also suggesting that, similar to nomination of sahityakar and filmmakers in the Parliament, “two-three leaders, advocating for farmers' interests, should also be nominated”.