Chandigarh, Jul 11 (IANS): Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Badal on Thursday demanded Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's resignation for failing "for the third time in a row" to purchase maize crop as per the minimum support price (MSP) despite promises.

He also demanded the AAP government compensate farmers for the losses suffered by them through the ‘Bhavantar’ scheme which was not being implemented in the state.

"All farmers who have sold their maize, moong, and sunflower crops at rates less than the stated MSP should be compensated immediately."

In a statement here, the SAD President also accused the Chief Minister of duping farmers in the name of diversification, saying Mann had first encouraged farmers to grow moong, maize and sunflower and given a “guarantee” that the entire crops would be procured as per MSP. However, when the time came to procure these crops, farmers were left at the mercy of private players and suffered huge losses.

“The AAP government’s much-hyped diversification plan is also in tatters due to the manner in which the Chief Minister reneged on this promise to procure these crops," Badal added.

He also demanded the government introduce MSP for vegetables, asserting farmers were being exploited by traders and were being forced to sell short. He called for providing insurance cover to vegetable farmers as they often faced huge losses due to inclement weather.