‘Procurement system has failed’: Hooda tells Congress workers to visit markets

Gurgaon: Alleging a “complete breakdown” of the crop procurement system in Haryana, Leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Monday asked Congress MLAs and senior party functionaries to “visit grain markets daily, summon officials on-site and hold them accountable”.During a visit to the Sohna grain market, Hooda claimed farmers and commission agents are facing “acute distress” due to administrative lapses and a non-functional digital portal. Hooda, who has been touring mandis across the state, said he visited markets in Sampla, Naraingarh, Sadhaura, Ambala, Kurukshetra and Karnal. Hooda claimed that the gap between crop arrivals and actual procurement is “widening”, leaving farmers stranded with unsold produce.The Congress functionary said the procurement process has virtually come to a standstill. “Neither is the portal working, nor are gate passes being issued. There is no bidding, and no procurement is taking place,” he said after interacting with farmers, arhtiyas and labourers at the mandi.Hooda said legislators must formally register objections wherever negligence is found and, if required, stage sit-ins or protests. “Haryana currently has a strong Opposition and Congress has committed itself to fulfilling its responsibility with diligence,” he asserted.He alleged that farmers are being trapped in “unnecessary bureaucratic procedures” aimed at delaying procurement and avoiding payment of the minimum support price (MSP).At Sohna, farmers and arhtiyas complained of severe mismanagement, saying that even basic supplies such as gunny bags (bardana) are unavailable in warehouses. They said delays in procurement, lifting and payments have led to mounting frustration among cultivators.Farmers also complained about the growing burden of procedural requirements. “First it was mandatory portal registration, then gate passes, biometric verification, tractor registration numbers, guarantors and several other conditions,” Hooda said, adding that these measures have slowed down procurement despite heavy arrivals in mandis.Hooda also summoned local officials to the mandi, apprised them of the issues and sought immediate corrective steps. Many party functionaries, such as Aftab Ahmed, Jitendra Bhardwaj, Sukhbir Kataria, Vardhan Yadav, Pankaj Dawar and Manish Khatana, were present.