While the Manohar lal Khattar Government is busy promoting its recently launched ‘Bhavantar Bharpai Yojana’ in Haryana, the Congress has demanded to scrap the scheme.
The State Government has launched Bhavantar Bharpayee Yojna (BBY) to incentivise the farmers during low price of vegetable produce in the wholesale market. Under this scheme, four crops namely potato, onion, tomato and cauliflower are covered.
However, currently the area of only two crops i.e. onion and tomato are being verified in the State.
“Registration of 850 farmers has been recorded so far under the scheme. Registration under the scheme is free,” said Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister, Om Parkash Dhankar on Thursday while urging the farmers to get registered under the scheme by February 15 and ensure protected price of their produce including tomato and potato.
The area authentication of cultivated crops of onion and tomato in Haryana will start from February 15 after the close of registration period of farmers under the scheme. The physical verification of area so sown or planted by registered farmers will last upto March 15, said the Minister while talking to the mediapersons here.
All the revenue officials in the district have been directed to duly assist the district horticulture officers in area authentication of farmers registered as such under the scheme. The scheme is opened for all type of farmers i.e. land owners, lease holders or tenant farmer.
Referring to the Swaminathan’s recommendation to make agriculture producer-centric alongwith production-centric, OP Dhankar said that State Government has also announced to constitute Kisan Kalyan Pradhikaran which would work exclusively for the welfare of producer farmers. In this series, we had also changed the name of Agriculture Department to Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department, he said.
The Minister added that Union Government in its budget for year 2018-19 had announced to raise the minimum support price (MSP) of agricultural commodities to 1.5 times of the production cost.
Meanwhile, the Congress has asked the Haryana Government to scrap the Bhavantar Yojana, and instead simplify things and issue orders disallowing any purchase of farmer’s produce in the mandis across the state below the MSP fixed on the basis of A2+Fl+C2 formula.
Kiran Choudhry, leader of the Haryana Congress legislature Party, on Thursday asked, “Why first ignite the fire of price differential and then douse the flames with the water of paying the difference to the farmersIJ Better scarp the Bhavantar Yojana and disallow any purchase in the mandis below the MSP” she added.
Elaborating, Choudhry said this would make things simple and spare the farmers the cumbersome bother of doing humungous paper work and running from pillar to post to get paid the difference between the MSP and market price.
Besides, it will also slam the doors shut on graft or any underhand deals in getting the money from the government, she said.
She demanded that MSP must be fixed on the basis of A2+Fl+C2. A2 costs basically cover all paid-out expenses, both in cash and in kind, incurred by farmers on seeds, fertilisers, chemicals, hired labour, fuel, irrigation, etc. A2+Fl cover actual paid-out costs plus an imputed value of unpaid family labour. C2 accounts for the rentals and interest forgone on owned land and fixed capital assets respectively, on top of A2+Fl, she added.