Bhupinder Singh Hooda has demanded an immediate compensation for the farmers who suffered losses due to crop damage.

The former chief minister of the state and senior Congress leader pointed out that wheat and mustard crops suffered heavy losses in 12 districts of Haryana due to insessant rain and hailstorm for three days in the state.

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“The standing wheat crop has been completely destroyed in the fields. At the same time, mustard has also fallen. Apart from this, many crops like animal fodder, vegetables and onion have also suffered heavy losses. Therefore, the government should stop making empty statements and immediately get the Girdawari done for the loss suffered by the farmers and give them proper compensation,” he said on Monday in a statement.

The former chief minister said crops had suffered heavy losses in January also, due to hailstorm. At that time, after the demand was raised by the Congress, the government announced the Girdawari, but the government neither got the Girdawari done nor gave compensation.

“5,299 farmers from 1,763 villages had uploaded the details of 2.6 lakh acres of damaged crops on the compensation portal, but till now the government has not even verified 2.03 lakh acres of crops. Similarly, in every season, farmers have to face some kind of disaster and the government shirks its responsibility by just making baseless statements in the media,” he said.

Hooda said that the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana has also become a means of profiteering for companies. “The Central government itself said in Parliament that there has been a huge drop of 90% in the payment of insurance claims. Under the scheme, while ₹ 2,496.89 crore was paid to farmers in the year 2022-23, in 2023-24 it fell to just ₹ 224.43 crore. That is, there has been a huge drop of more than 90% in the payment,” he pointed out.

“Such a huge drop in the settlement of insurance claims is like rubbing salt on the wounds of the farmers. The crop insurance scheme has become a scheme to fill the coffers of private insurance companies by looting the earnings of farmers,” he added.