Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh today termed the increase in MSP announced by the Centre as "inadequate" and demanded a review in line with the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission.
In a statement here, the chief minister said the increase
of Rs 110 a quintal in the Minimum Support Price (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.
The chief minister said 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, the chief
minister said.
Citing the Swaminathan Commission report, he said 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.
Singh urged 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.
