Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Monday attacked the Congress-led UPA Government for failing to address woes of farmers across the country.
Addressing the Vibrant Gujarat Global Agriculture Summit in Gandhinagar, Badal claimed that the farmers and the rural community were the most neglected by the Central Government.
He called the process of fixing minimum support price (MSP) for farm goods as unjustified and demanded autonomy for the Commission for Agriculture Costs and Prices (CACP) — a Central Government body that decides the prices of farm produce.
The Chief Minister said that while Punjab accounts for only 2.5 per cent of country's population, it produces more than 50 per cent of India's food grains.
Badal was critical of how the Central Government decides on the MSP of farm produces. “Agriculture prices are beyond our control. It is decided by the Centre. Neither I nor Modi can do anything about it. No Chief Minister is consulted before deciding on the MSP,” Badal said.
He went on to say that farmers have produced enough food grains to feed the people of the country and fulfilled their responsibility, but the Central Government failed in fulfilling its responsibility.
“Today, the farmers are in huge debt. Are the prices fixed by the Centre justified taking into consideration the rising input cost than expenditure that farmers has to incur in farmingIJ,” Badal asked CACP chairman Ashok Gulati who was sharing dais with him.
“Agriculture pricing should be autonomous and not act under pressure of Central Government,” he demanded.
Badal said that it was easy to tell farmers don't grow paddy. “But when there was a crisis in agriculture, the farmers are told to grow paddy. Now that the farmers are in crisis, shouldn't Government come to his helpIJ” he questioned.
Agreeing that farmers need to diversify, Badal said, “But can there be diversification without fundsIJ” The five-time Punjab Chief Minister also accused the Central Government of 'a step motherly' treatment to farmers.
Seeks `5,000 cr diversification package for green revolution states
Expressing concern over rising debt on farmers and rural community, Badal said: “There is as much as `30,000 crore debt of farmers today. Also, Punjab farmers are being accused of bringing down groundwater level. But, I ask did they use it for themselves...it was for the country.”
“We needed major investments in diversification and has already asked for a package of `5,000 crore for the green revolution states from the Centre, but it has provided only `500 crore which is too little and insufficient,” added Badal.
Inter-state collaboration amongst industries and entrepreneurs in agri-business
Underlining the need to encourage inter-state collaboration amongst industries and entrepreneurs in agri-business, Badal believed that there should also be an inter-state collaboration for promotion of agriculture development in the country.
“Our Government has introduced a new Investment Promotion Policy. And, I invite all the entrepreneurs and farmers to make huge investments in Punjab,” said Badal.
At the same time, Badal assured of all possible help and support on behalf of Punjab Government, to the interested entrepreneurs looking for lucrative opportunities in the agro-processing industry.
Next Global Summit on Agriculture in Punjab
Badal also announced to host the next ‘Global Summit on Agriculture’ in Punjab during February 2014.