Hoshiarpur: Addressing people who had come to meet him at his office, former MP Avinash Rai Khanna stated that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab is neglecting the state's farmers. He remarked that the AAP government has proven to be a complete failure in safeguarding the rights of farmers. Farmers—considered the backbone of the state's economy and agricultural system—are currently worried about their crops, input costs, and future; yet, instead of providing permanent solutions to their problems, the government appears to be limiting itself to mere announcements.
Khanna asserted that if the Punjab government truly claims to be pro-farmer, it should learn from the farmer-friendly policies of the BJP government in neighboring Haryana and ensure that Punjab's farmers receive the effective benefit of Minimum Support Price (MSP) for their crops. He emphasized that receiving a fair price for their produce is the farmers' right, and the government must establish a system where farmers do not feel financially insecure while selling their crops.
The former MP demanded that the Punjab government provide soil health cards to farmers and offer guidance for scientific farming based on soil quality. Furthermore, he urged for the effective implementation of crop insurance schemes to provide financial protection against natural disasters, adverse weather conditions, and other risks. Khanna stated that Punjab's farmers are not merely a vote bank but the foundation of the state's economy. He argued that the government should support farmers through concrete policies and schemes that yield results at the grassroots level, rather than relying on political promises.
He urged the AAP government to make concrete decisions in the interest of farmers instead of playing politics with their welfare, ensuring that Punjab's food providers can farm with dignity and financial security. He called upon the Punjab government to immediately initiate a dialogue with farmer organizations to resolve their issues and take decisive steps regarding matters such as MSP, soil health cards, and crop insurance. Other prominent figures, including S.P. Diwan, were also present on this occasion.