Terming the increase in MSP (minimum support price) announced by the Centre as “inadequate”, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Tuesday demanded a review in line with the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission.
Chief Minister said that the increase of Rs 110 a quintal in the MSP of wheat and Rs 200 per quintal in that of pulses would not help achieve the objective of boosting the output of these crops and checking prices.
The move would also not, in any way, provide much relief to the distressed farmers of the country who are reeling under huge debt burdens and struggling to make both ends meet, he added.
Capt Amarinder said that if the Centre was serious about uplifting the agriculture sector and alleviating the woes of the farmers, it would need to go beyond such tokenism to announce far-reaching changes in the MSP and other welfare initiatives, including debt waiver, in the interest of the farming community.
“The Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations on MSP need to be implemented urgently, in Toto, if the country’s agricultural system has to survive and prosper,” he said.
Citing the Swaminathan Commission report, he said that the only long-term solution to the crisis faced by the farming community lay in giving attractive remuneration to the farmers through pricing and procurement based on total cost of production plus 50 per cent, as recommended by the Commission.
The Centre, by continuing to ignore the suggestions of the Commission, was worsening the situation instead of finding solutions, he warned.
Capt Amarinder urged the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene and order a review of the MSP to ensure a proper remunerative pricing policy for the farmers, as per the commission’s report.
He also requested the Prime Minister to take cognisance of the demand of the Punjab government for incorporation of stubble burning compensation at Rs 100 per quintal in the MSP for paddy.
The central and state governments need to collaborate to resolve the agrarian crisis in the country, said the Chief Minister, adding that it was their joint responsibility to protect the interests of the farmers, who were responsible for feeding nation.
BJP terms it a big relief for farmers
Welcoming the MSP hike announced by NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday termed it as a big relief for the farmers of the country.
BJP national secretary Tarun Chugh said that the historic decision to increase the wheat MSP by Rs 110 per quintal and Rs 200 per quintal increase in MSP of pulses would go a long way in strengthening the financial condition of the farmers.
He said that the farmers would now get Rs 1,735 instead of Rs 1,625 as MSP for wheat which would help them wriggle out of the financial crisis.
Chugh said that the Modi government was heading towards fulfilling its promise of doubling the income of farmers by the year 2020. He said that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi was committed to the welfare of farmers and was eager to see them prosper.
He said the Prime Minister has introduced various innovative schemes for the welfare of the farmers which were sure to yield positive results and benefit the farming community.