New MSP pushes up cotton price from Rs 3,433 to Rs 5,150: Manohar Lal

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal on Sunday said that with the increase in MSP of Kharif crops to 1.5 times the cost of production, the cotton growers would get Rs 5,150 per quintal as compared to the earlier cost of Rs 3,433 per quintal.

Besides, bajra growers stand to gain the maximum from this decision, said the Chief Minister, while addressing the ‘Kapas Kisan Dhanyavad’ rally’ at Barwala in Hisar district.

 The decision on MSP of Kharif crops is the biggest step in the direction of achieving the target of doubling farmers’ income by 2022. Various schemes have been initiated by the present Government for the welfare of farmers and they would not be left behind in progress, he said.

The Chief Minister said that as many as two lakh new BPL ration cards would be made so that maximum number of people could avail themselves the benefits of Government schemes. Work on this project will start next month, he said.

Manohar Lal also announced projects worth Rs 110 crore for Barwala.

Besides, he also announced additional developmental works worth Rs 20 crore from the list of demands put by BJP district president Surender Punia.  He also laid the foundation stone of a sports stadium to be built at a cost of Rs 1 crore and Community Centre to be built at a cost of Rs 3.05 crore in Barwala.

Earlier, the Chief Minister reached the rally venue by driving a tractor. The Finance Minister Captain Abhimanyu, BJP State president Subhash Barala among others accompanied him on the tractor.

Manohar Lal, while addressing the rally said that the present Governments at the Centre and in the State are not for the rich but for the welfare of poor and backward people. These people should get their rights and dues, he added.

He also talked about various other schemes launched for the welfare of farmers like Bhavantar Bharpayee Yojna, Pradhan Mantri Crop Insurance Scheme etc.

As many as 2,300 villages of six districts of the State are being provided round-the-clock electricity. The remaining villages are being supplied power for and 15, 18 and 22 hours. By making special efforts, the Government has achieved reduction in power losses by 13 per cent, he said.

Manohar Lal further said that the Supreme Court had passed a decree to provide Haryana its share of river waters, and, on this issue the politics done by Opposition parties is baseless.

Regardless of water scarcity, sufficient water is being supplied by the Government. The State has managed to supply water after a gap of 25 years to the 293 tail-end villages out of 300 in the districts of Bhiwani, Hisar, Dadri, Mahendergarh and Mewat, he said.

Speaking about corruption, the Chief Minister said that the State Government would teach a lesson to the corrupt.

Attacking the former Chief Minister, Manohar Lal said, “Bhupinder Singh Hooda used to say let the Government probe his tenure. Now that four investigations against him have been started, he has started saying that the government is working with a spirit of revenge.”

“I have full faith in the judicial system and feel that in cases of corruption, the former Chief Minister would be   behind the bars. The Government won’t spare those who split the society or burnt properties of the people,” he said while referring to the Jat agitation 2016.

The Chief Minister also said the present Government had given jobs on the basis of merit and it would be our endeavor that at least one Government job is given to every household in the State. Members of such families as do not have any member in job would be given five marks in interview and five marks would be given to the widows, he said.

“My father was a small farmer with whom I worked in the fields during my childhood days.  I used to get up at 4 am and take vegetables to the mandis on a bicycle”, he said asking Hooda, who claims to be a farmer’s leader, if he or his son ever worked in the fields.

While announcing development works worth Rs 110 crore for the Barwala Assembly constituency, the Chief Minister said 90 per cent of the announcements he had made in this mandi two years ago had either been completed or work was apace.

The Barwala-Khedar road is being constructed at a cost of Rs 9 crore, four-laning of Khedar-Agroha road is being carried out at a cost of Rs 21 crores and Barwala-Khedi Chopta would be four-laned at a cost of Rs 31 crore, he said.

While addressing the rally, Finance Minister Captain Abhimanyu said the Prime Minister would always be remembered for the work done for the welfare of the farmers.

 “We would provide profitable prices to the farmers for their produce”, he added.

Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister, OP Dhankar, said that the previous Governments made only tall claims of being the well wishers of farmers but never took any steps for their benefit.

Others who spoke at the rally included the Minister of State for Public Health Engineering, Banwari Lal, BJP state president Subhash Barala, and Rajiv Jain, media advisor to the Chief Minister.