Farmers accuse Haryana government of wheat subsidy scam

Bharatiya Kisan Ekta (BKE) president Lakhwinder Singh Aulakh has leveled serious allegations against the Haryana government, alleging fraud in the rabi season wheat subsidy scheme. Aulakh said the government subsidy of Rs 1,000 per quintal was misleading and insufficient.

According to Aulakh, the Haryana Seed Development Corporation along with other agencies like the National Seeds Corporation and IFFCO were selling certified wheat seeds at Rs 2,875 per quintal. The government fixed this price by adopting a base price of Rs 3,875 per quintal and offering a subsidy of Rs 1,000. However, private seed companies are selling the same seeds at Rs 3,100-3,200 per quintal without any subsidy.

In comparison, last year government agencies purchased wheat from farmers at Rs 2,275 per quintal plus bonuses ranging from Rs 100 to Rs 350 per quintal. Farmers were also returned broken or low-grade grain during processing. Taking into account all costs including labour, packaging and storage, the total cost of processing should not exceed Rs 550 per quintal, making the actual price of the seeds around Rs 2,825 per quintal.

Aulakh questioned why the government subsidy did not benefit farmers as the final seed price remained close to private company prices. He suspects serious discrepancies in the distribution of subsidies and has called for an investigation to find out who may be benefiting from them rather than the intended beneficiaries.

He called for a high-level inquiry to trace the Rs 1,000 per quintal subsidy that was meant to support farmers. Aulakh stressed that clear analysis is needed to ensure that future policies actually benefit farmers rather than exploit them.