lambasting Rs50 hike in paddy minimum support price announced by the Modi Government as a “cruel joke with the farmers”, Punjab Congress on Wednesday demanded Rs500 per quintal hike.“Here is yet another decision that exposes anti-farmer face of the Narendra Modi government in which the Shiromani Akali Dal is a partner. This hike does not cover even the cost of inputs,” said the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Partap Singh Bajwa.
He said that BJP, in its poll manifesto, had the promised fixation of MSP on the Swaminathan formula. Bajwa called upon Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to tell the people as to what his Government proposed to do other than issuing a customary statement as the Akali Dal was the alliance partner of the BJP at the Centre and hence was equal culprit in this anti-farmer decision.
Meanwhile, the Bharti Kisan Union also rejected the meager increase in paddy MSP, while demanding implementation of Swaminathan report as per huge promises made by Narendra Modi before the elections and also as promised by BJP in its poll manifesto.
“Instead of honouring its poll promise given in its manifesto, that farmers will be given 50 per cent above than the cost of production, this small increase is total deceit with the farmers,” said BKU national president and former MP Bhupinder Singh Mann.
Mann said that the State Government led by Parkash Singh Badal should pressurise the Centre to honour its promise. “Only then the farmers will believe that Badal is pro farmer,” he said.
He said that agriculture in Punjab is passing through severe crisis. “If economic solution is not found soon, it will lead to lot of social problems in future for which the responsibility will be on the state and Central Government,” he warned.
The State unit head of BKU, Baldev Singh Mianpur, also blasted the Punjab and Modi Governments for their persistent anti-farmer steps. “The biggest is seen in the pathetic procurement of wheat few months back,” he said.