Chandigarh: Listing out the measures taken by his government to compensate farmers over this year's subnormal rain, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini countered the Congress criticism over the issue, saying the opposition party would give only "meagre amounts" while it was in power.
Stepping up the attack ahead of the possible announcement of assembly polls in the state, Saini, addressing a press conference on Friday, hit out at Congress's 'Haryana Maange Hisab' campaign and accused it of spreading lies.
Asked if he has any information on whether Haryana's poll dates will be announced later in the day, Saini quipped: "Who said so? Polls will be held as per schedule."
The chief minister pointed to the recent cabinet decision to compensate farmers affected by less rains at a rate of Rs 2,000 per acre as a bonus. "We have released the first instalment of Rs 525 crore on Friday," he said.
All the farmers who have registered on the designated portal will be compensated for their losses, he said.
Saini said the BJP-led government in the state has taken several steps for farmers' welfare in the past ten years.
"Congress sheds crocodile tears in the name of farmers. They should tell how much crops they procured from farmers in the ten years between 2005-2014," Saini said.
"During their rule, Congress used to handover cheques of meagre amounts of Rs 2, Rs 5 for crop damage. The BJP government has given Rs 13,276 crore as compensation to farmers for crop damage in the past ten years," he said.
During the Congress rule, farmers would "dump their produce" on roads as they did not get the required price, the CM said.
Under the BJP government, payment is made to the farmers' bank accounts within 72 hours, Saini said.
Dubbing the 'Haryana Maange Hisab' campaign as a "jhooth ki yatra" (yatra of lies), he added, "Those who are seeking an account from us, I want to show them the mirror and tell them how we are taking decisions in favour of farmers and empowering them," he said.
Saini said while the Congress is wearing a mask of honesty these days, everyone knows how farmers' land was "snatched by them in the name of CLU (change of land use)" and handed them over to builders.
The Congress has been attacking the BJP as part of its 'Haryana Maange Hisab' campaign, after its launch on July 15, targeting the ruling party over several issues concerning farmers as well as unemployment, law and order and others.