Former Chief Minister and opposition leader, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, has squarely blamed the BJP-JJP coalition government for the dire situation facing rice and maize farmers. He argues that the government’s policy of deliberately delaying government procurement is the root cause of this crisis. Moreover, he highlights serious irregularities in government portals and systems.
Hooda stated that the Congress party had repeatedly demanded the government to start procurement early, improve market arrangements, and ensure timely payment to farmers. However, the government has been negligent and handed over procurement to private agencies. He emphasizes that every farmer has the right to sell their produce at the Minimum Support Price (MSP), and the government should compensate farmers for the losses incurred due to the delay in procurement.
Addressing the issue of Family Identity Cards (Parivar Pehchan Patras), Hooda pointed out serious discrepancies in the data recorded. Between August 2020 and August 2023, approximately 7 million Family Identity Cards were issued in the state, with more than 90% containing errors such as incorrect birthdates, names, marital status, qualifications, disability status, and income information. Some cards even falsely declared living individuals as deceased, and vice versa. Such extensive errors could only be deliberate, not accidental.
The consequences of the government’s mistakes are being borne by the people. Citizens are being forced to run from one government office to another to rectify these errors, enduring long hours of waiting. Yet, the issue remains unresolved. Therefore, the Congress party has declared its intention to eliminate the Family Identity Card system, which seems to have been created with the deliberate intent of causing distress to the public. The government already possesses Aadhaar card data, which is more than sufficient for any welfare program.
Hooda holds the BJP-JJP government accountable for the crisis faced by farmers and for the errors in the Family Identity Card system, which has inconvenienced and troubled the citizens.”
