Former chief minister of Rajasthan Ashok Gehlot on Sunday attacked the BJP government in the state over a public notice of auctioning farmers' land for not repaying loans in Hanumangarh district.

Gehlot demanded that the chief minister should immediately halt the auction and relieve the farmers. In a post on X, Gehlot shared a photo of the notice published in a newspaper and said, "These advertisements published in the newspapers of Hanumangarh district of Rajasthan to auction the land of farmers are exposing the truth of "Modi's Guarantee.” He alleged that the BJP had promised in its election manifesto in Rajasthan to ensure that farmers' land auction will be stopped, but farmers' land is being auctioned in Rajasthan.

When contacted, State Cooperative Minister Gautam Kumar said that he had directed the officials to examine the matter.

"The land of farmers will not be allowed to be auctioned," Kumar said.

Hanumangarh Cooperative Land Development Bank Ltd issued a public notice for auctioning of agricultural lands of 20 farmers in various tehsils on May 17, which was published in newspapers on Saturday.

As per the notice, the auctions will take place on different dates from June 3 to June 24.

"Willful defaulter (deliberately not repaying the loan) borrowers of Bank Branch Hanumangarh are informed that attachment warrants have been issued against them from the competent court for not repaying the loan even after serving notices under which their agricultural land/property has been attached in favour of the bank," the notice said.

"Now, the said confiscated agricultural land/property of these borrowers will be auctioned through public bidding by the undersigned (Sales Officer) in the same condition as it is on the appointed date," the notice said.

Targeting the BJP government, the former CM said, "This anti-farmer BJP formed the government by making false promises but they do not care about the farmers. Our government had created the Agricultural Debt Relief Commission but the new government has not made it functional." He said that his former government had passed a bill in the Assembly in November 2020 and made a provision that 5 acres of agricultural land of farmers will not be auctioned.

"The Governor had sent this bill for approval to the central government but till now it has not received approval from the central government. For this reason, on January 20, 2022, through an administrative order, our government banned the agricultural land auction started by some banks at that time," he said.

He said that Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma should immediately get the bill, which passed in the Assembly in November 2020, approved by the central government so the farmers can get some relief.

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