Chandigarh, Oct. 17 -- Former Haryana finance minister Sampat Singh on Friday said that delays in the procurement of paddy and bajra, crop purchase at prices lower than the minimum support price (MSP) and crop damage caused by rain are pushing farmers into a severe financial crisis.

In a statement, the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader said the "anti-farmer policies" of BJP led Haryana government and the collapse of the procurement system have aggravated farmers' problems. "Farmers are now being forced to run from one mandi to another to sell their produce. Rain has damaged paddy lying in fields and mandis while delays in government procurement and the slow pace of lifting have worsened the crisis more,'' he said.

The paddy procurem...