Centre punishing Punjab, Haryana farmers for opposing farm laws, says Surjewala

Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala on Tuesday alleged that the central government wants to end MSP through backdoor and Punjab and Haryana farmers are being punished under a planned conspiracy for opposing the now repealed farm laws. His comments drew a sharp reaction from the Haryana government that accused Surjewala of misleading and deceiving the people.
Surjewala challenged Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini to debate with him on the entire issue besides claiming that Punjab and Haryana governments are in league with the Centre. Addressing a news conference here, Surjewala claimed less paddy procurement has taken place till today than the last year’s corresponding period in both states. “There are six parts of the conspiracy. The principal part is to finish MSP through backdoor, ultimately abolish the MSP, abolish the grain markets on the pattern of Bihar, gradually abolish crop purchase at MSP by cutting it down. Today, they have cut down the purchase by half, then they will cut down by more. In the next 2-4 years, they will make MSP redundant, make registration for farmers on designated portal redundant,” he alleged.
“Go to Dhand or Pundri grain market in Haryana’s Kaithal district. The grain market has been shut down there,” Surjewala further alleged.
There are nearly 9,000 rice mills in Punjab and Haryana, most of which do milling of grain procured for PDS and other schemes, he said. The government creates an obstruction in the business of rice millers so that the purchase and milling of the paddy of the farmers purchased at MSP is in less quantity, he said. “In the last five years, the Modi government has made a huge cut of ₹3,30,000 crore in fertiliser-food-and fuel subsidy. In the year 2020-21, this subsidy was 3.8% of GDP at ₹7,58,165 crore, and in year 2024-25, this subsidy was reduced to 1.3% of GDP, making it ₹4,28,423 crore,” he said.
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“The blow of food subsidy is even bigger. In the last two years alone, the Modi government has cut the food subsidy by ₹78,000 crore. In the year 2022-23, the budget expenditure on food subsidy was ₹2,83,475 crore, which was reduced to ₹2,05,250 crore in 2024-25,” he said.
Surjewala said there is a planned conspiracy to reduce crop purchase at MSP. “Compared to last year, till date, the purchase of 82,88,450 metric tonnes of paddy from Punjab and Haryana has decreased.
Later, the Haryana government, while claiming that Surjewala’s remarks were a bundle of lies, said, “A total of 4,84,927 farmers were registered on the ‘Meri Fasal Mera Byora’ portal for the kharif season and 2,35,205 (till October 28) have benefited from paddy procurement. A total of 44.58 lakh metric tonne paddy has been procured and ₹8,545 crore paid to farmers,” an official spokesperson said. The paddy procurement target is 60 lakh MT, while 58.94 lakh MT was procured last year, the state government mentioned.
Regarding urea and DAP, the spokesperson said that as of October 28, the state has 4,22,958 MT urea (including old stock), 27,357 MT DAP, 72,487 MT SSP and 31,206 MT NPK. (With PTI inputs)