Congress legislative Party (ClP) leader Sunil Jakhar on Thursday said the minimum support price (MSP) for paddy was yet another jolt to Punjab. “Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had demanded `2,000 as MSP for paddy keeping in view the increase in cost of production but New Delhi has fixed it at `1,410 only,” pointed Jakhar.
He said, “Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dropped his much publicised plan to attend the Anandpur Sahib function and gave nod for participation of Home Minister Rajnath Singh only, Chief Minister Badal can’t afford to annoy BJP top brass further. So, he can’t be expected to battle for better and remunerative prices to the farmers.”
Jakhar, also the leader of Opposition, said that neither the Centre nor the State Government leaders were concerned over a recent spurt in incidents of suicides committed by debt-ridden farmers.
“NDA and its constituent SAD had made election promises to implement the Swaminathan report but both have backtracked. New Delhi had recently explained inability in the Apex Court to implement the report,” said Jakhar.
He said that the ‘nominal’ increase in the MSP and denial of bonus was a cruel joke that the ruling politicians were playing with the farming community.
“The norms for compensation against damage done to crops due to natural calamities have not been revised…The SAD and BJP have been making a lot of hue and cry and targeted UPA for it but are maintaining studied silence now,” he said.
Demanding immediate release of pending compensation to the farmers, Jakhar said that farming community should be given substantial relief by waiving off loans advanced by cooperative sector.