Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Wednesday urged the Central Government to intervene immediately to resolve the crisis gripping the farming community across the country.
At the same time, Capt Amarinder reiterated the Congress’ demand for farm debt waiver in all the States, with urgent steps to fix the MSP (minimum support price) of crops in line with the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission.
The Chief Minister’s request came amid an escalating farmer crisis in the country, which witnessed six people being killed in police firing during a protest by farmers in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday, and continuing spate of farmer suicides in various States, including Punjab.
Reiterating his Government’s commitment of farm loan waiver in Punjab, Capt Amarinder called for a holistic policy by the Centre to address the problem. “Though the Commission set up to work out the debt waiver modalities in Punjab is already on the job, it is important to resolve the crisis at a national level,” he added.
The key to resolving the farmers’ problems in the country lies in the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission report, which had recommended fixing the MSP for crops at levels “at least 50 per cent more than the weighted average cost of production,” the Chief Minister said.
As pointed out by the Commission, this would help enhance the profitability in agriculture, by ensuring a minimum of 50 per cent profits over the cost of production, Capt Amarinder added.
Pointing out that a fair price mechanism for farmers would go a long way in ensuring better remuneration for their crops, the Chief Minister appealed to the Central Government to come out with a national framework for the same.
He referred to his own request to the Centre for fixing MSP for maize, in addition to wheat and paddy, to stress the need to encourage the farmers to diversify their cultivation habits and shift towards the more lucrative cash crops.
Capt Amarinder had a few days ago written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking his direct intervention for fixing procurement price of maize at the central government’s MSP to boost crop diversification.