Enraged Farmers Gherao Haryana Agriculture Minister Shyam Singh Rana Over Stalled Procurement

• by Akanksha Mishra
• 2026-10-12 16:37:00

Severe unrest erupted across agricultural markets in Haryana on Sunday after unseasonal showers submerged thousands of quintals of freshly harvested paddy lying in the open at the Karnal grain market, exposing major logistical lapses by the state procurement machinery. Frustrated farmers staged fierce demonstrations and chanted slogans directly against Haryana Agriculture Minister Shyam Singh Rana during his surprise inspection of the Gharaunda grain market. The confrontation escalated into a heated face-off between angry cultivators and ruling party workers as farmers accused authorities of sluggish procurement, inadequate tarpaulin covers, and unfair price deductions, leaving harvested crops exposed to the elements.

Rain Ravages Karnal Mandis: Open-Air Stacks Drenched While Sheds House Mill Stock

The sudden deluge revealed glaring deficits in protective infrastructure across multiple designated procurement hubs in the region:

Inadequate Protective Covers: Open yards at the Karnal grain market remained covered in waterlogged paddy heaps, with farmers pointing out that tarpaulins were available for only a tiny fraction of the total produce brought to the yard.

Privileged Storage for Millers: Cultivators voiced intense anger over millers occupying covered storage sheds with already procured grain, leaving freshly arrived produce vulnerable to rain in open yards.

Avoidable Damage: Farmers maintained that had state agencies completed grain lifting and dispatch on schedule, storage sheds would have stood empty, protecting thousands of quintals from soaking.

Dramatic Confrontation at Gharaunda: Sloganeering Against Minister and Clashes with Party Workers

High-voltage drama played out as the Agriculture Minister's inspection tour encountered grassroots pushback:

Gherao Outside Market Committee Office: As Minister Shyam Singh Rana exited the Gharaunda market committee office in his official convoy, agitated farmers surrounded the vehicle, raising slogans demanding accountability.

Tense Clashes Between Factions: Ruling BJP workers attempting to clear the convoy clashed with protesting cultivators, resulting in prolonged verbal arguments that brought mandi operations to a standstill.

Dismissal of Photo-Ops: Frustrated growers slammed visiting political delegations, arguing that leaders arrive purely for media photo-ops and offer empty verbal assurances while their produce rots on damp floorings.

Moisture Cut Discontent: ₹300–₹400 Arbitrary Deductions Trigger Heavy Losses

Cultivators are facing severe financial distress from both delayed buying and contentious quality assessments:

Stalled Despite 17% Moisture Compliance: Farmers reported waiting in mandis for days without their produce being registered, even when paddy complied with the permissible 17% moisture threshold.

Arbitrary Financial Penalties: When private buyers and state agencies step in, they allegedly enforce unrecorded deductions of ₹300 to ₹400 per quintal, citing post-rain moisture levels.

Compounding Crop Damage: Growers warned that the rainwater absorbed by standing heaps will trigger grain discoloration and mold, exposing them to even steeper price rejections if government agencies do not purchase the stocks immediately.

Agriculture Minister Admits Lapses: CM-Directed Field Visits Underway to Resolve Bottlenecks

Facing public backlash, the state government acknowledged procurement delays and promised urgent administrative interventions:

Official Review on CM's Orders: Minister Shyam Singh Rana stated that his ground visits follow direct instructions from the Chief Minister to assess ground bottlenecks faced by both growers and commission agents (arhtiyas).

Concession on Slower Pace: The minister acknowledged that the pace of government procurement has dropped and admitted that rice mill allocations had decreased, compounding the yard congestion.

Mitigation of Weather Losses: Conceding that unseasonal rainfall has caused real financial pain to farming households, Rana pledged that administrative teams would accelerate bag lifting, resolve dispute points on moisture allowances, and speed up procurement clearance across all affected districts.

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