Union Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, while visiting Patiala as part of the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan, took a sharp dig at the Congress, blaming it for what he called a historic mistake in signing the Indus Waters Treaty.
Chouhan said the Congress government, led by former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, had attempted to “buy peace” with Pakistan by giving away India’s water, which ended up helping the neighbouring country “grow terrorism” instead. He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for suspending the treaty following the recent Pahalgam terror attack.
“Eighty per cent of our water was flowing into Pakistan. Now this water will be used for farming in Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan,” Chouhan said.
He added that even Congress MPs from Punjab and J\&K had opposed the treaty in Parliament at the time, but Nehru went ahead anyway, claiming it was a peace offering. “But peace never came, and our farmers have suffered water shortages ever since,” Chouhan added.
Encouraging farmers to adopt the Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR) method, he highlighted its benefits in conserving water and lowering labour costs. He also warned against the overuse of pesticides and said real solutions should come from direct engagement with farmers, not from air-conditioned offices.
Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian also addressed the gathering, praising progressive farmers and pointing to one who has avoided stubble burning for over a decade by adopting the DSR technique.
Khudian raised concerns about a significant shortfall in the supply of DAP fertiliser, saying Punjab needs 90,000 metric tonnes but has only received around 38,000 to 39,000 metric tonnes so far. He also questioned the delay in full compensation to farmers for crop diversification, noting they had received only Rs 10,000 per acre against a promised Rs 17,000.
Khudian stressed the need for stronger stubble management incentives, stating that stubble burning during the kharif season had dropped by 86 per cent.
In response, Chouhan assured that discussions were ongoing both in Punjab and Delhi to finalise better compensation plans for farmers managing stubble responsibly.
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