Fake seed wheat purchase: Dhankar, Dalal in war of words

Pradeep Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 1

The alleged purchase of fake seed wheat by government agencies in the garb of certified seed rocked the House today with former minister and Congress legislator Karan Dalal and Agriculture Minister OP Dhankar engaging in a war of words. Dalal later staged a walkout over the government’s failure to order a probe into the matter.

Earlier, raising the issue through a calling-attention motion, Dalal alleged that the BJP government instead of supplying quality seed wheat to farmers was playing into the hands of private suppliers, who were supplying fake seed to the Haryana Seed Development Corporation (HSDC). “The subsidy on wheat seed is being pocketed by government officials in connivance with private seed suppliers,” Dalal alleged.

Taking strong exception to Dalal allegations, Dhankar was on his feet claiming that till date about 5.83 lakh quintals of certified seed had been sold to farmers at a subsided rate of Rs 1875 per quintal. “The HSDC has procured over 2 lakh quintals of certified seed and its quality had been certified by the Hayana Seed Certification Agency,” the minister asserted.

However, not content with the minister’s reply, Dalal raised an accusing finger at the minister’s technical knowledge about the certified seed. This set off a war of words between Dalal and Dhankar with the latter raising the issues of Raxil and seed scam during the Congress regime which were now being probed by the CBI.