Sirsa MP Kumari Selja has criticised the Haryana Government and district administration for their negligence, blaming them for the extensive crop damage caused by a sudden rainstorm and hailstorm across several districts. She alleged that the lack of planning and absence of adequate storage facilities in grain markets (mandis) led to the destruction of farmers’ hard work in just a few hours.
In a media statement, Selja said that on Friday afternoon, unexpected weather changes resulted in heavy rain and hailstorm in Sirsa and 13 other districts, including Fatehabad, Hisar, Bhiwani, Mahendragarh and Rewari. She said that wheat and mustard crops were severely damaged both in the fields and in storage. “In Sirsa alone, 95 per cent of the wheat stored in mandis got wet. Mustard and wheat were also damaged in Fatehabad, where harvesting had to be stopped,” she said.
She demanded that the government should conduct a fair and transparent survey to assess the extent of the damage and provide immediate relief and compensation to affected farmers. Stressing the importance of long-term solutions, she said, “Farmers are the providers of food for the nation. Their problems must be addressed urgently.”
Selja also criticised the administration for ignoring advance alerts from the Meteorological Department. “Preparations for procurement remained only on paper and were not implemented on the ground,” she alleged.
In a separate development, Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has responded to Selja’s letter regarding road safety on National Highway-9 near Sahuwala village. Selja had raised concerns over repeated accidents on this stretch and had requested the construction of service lanes, underpasses and other safety measures. Gadkari directed officials to take appropriate action on her recommendations.
