Meagre MSP hike for paddy insult to farmers: Punjab CM
Darpan News Desk IANS, 10 Jun, 2021 11:48 AM
Chandigarh, June 10 (IANS) Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday termed the ‘meagre MSP hike for paddy as not only grossly inadequate, but also an insult to the farmers who have been fighting for their rightful dues through their anti-farm law agitation for the past six months.
At a time when the farmers continue to put their lives on the line with their prolonged protest on the borders of Delhi, the BJP-led Central government has, instead of putting balm on their wounds, added insult to their injuries with the minimum support price (MSP) announcement, said the Chief Minister.
Amarinder Singh slammed the ‘anti-farmer' government at the Centre for consistently failing to protect the interests of the farmers and for its apathy towards their problems.
The less than 4 per cent hike in MSP for paddy is not enough even to meet the increased input costs, Amarinder Singh pointed out, citing the extraordinary hike in diesel prices and other costs over the past one year.
The increase in MSP for other crops is also quite measly, he added, noting that the small hike in the base price of maize would discourage the farmers from going for the much-needed crop diversification to save the precious and depleting water resource. The Chief Minister noted that the Swaminathan Committee, whose recommendations the Central government has ‘adamantly' refused to accept, had clearly suggested that MSP should be "at least 50 per cent more than the weighted average cost of production".
Far from implementing the recommendations of the committee in the interest of the farmers and for the nation's food security, the BJP-led government had passed the anti-farmer laws that are clearly aimed at destroying India's farmers, the Chief Minister said.
Amarinder Singh also said that it is not enough for the Union Agriculture Minister to say that the doors for talks with the farmers are open.
The government of India should repeal the farm laws and then sit across the table with the farmers to come out with genuine and meaningful reforms in the agriculture sector in the interest of the farming community as well as the nation, the Chief Minister asserted.
External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson, during his weekly briefing, said that the ministry had sensitised all its missions and posts abroad regarding the fugitive god man.
The four accused in the rape and murder of a woman veterinarian were gunned down in an early morning exchange of fire, after two of the accused snatched pistols from the police party who had brought them to the scene of crime for collection of further evidence.
"I have now applied for the passport. I am an Indian and it hurts me that I am asked to prove that every time. My wife, my children are Indian. I pay my taxes here and my life is here," he said.
