Farmers Movement Archive

Cong, AAP slam ‘meagre’ hike in MSP for rabi crops

The Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday criticised the hike in minimum support prices (MSPs) announced by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA government for a range of rabi crops. Hitting out at the central government, Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu that it promised to double the farmer income by 2022, but increased the MSP on wheat by just two per cent and fair and remunerative price (FRP) on sugarcane by 1.75% despite a sharp increase in expenses. “In last one year, diesel rates have increased by 48%, DAP by 140% mustard oil by 174%, sunflower oil by 170% and LPG cylinder by ₹190,” he claimed in a series of tweets. Sidhu said that NDA means “No Data Available” about farmers, labour and small traders. “Govt only knows about its rich corporate friends, whose debt it waives off, whose planes it travels in and who make their policies such as the three farm laws,” he alleged. Congress youth leader Amardeep Singh Cheema also condemned the miniscule raise of ₹40 per quintal in MSP of wheat and accordingly in other 23 rabi crops, calling it “utter failure” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “The way cost has been calculated is actually cost of selective inputs while blatantly ignoring the costs of land, tilling, labour, capital cost, supervision and inflation in diesel prices and fertilizers,” he claimed, blaming the “negative attitude” of the central government. Criticising the measly hike in MSP for wheat, AAP MLA and Kisan Wing state chief Kultar Singh Sandhwan said the Modi government was punishing the farmers for agitating against its three farm laws. The MSP for rabi crops was just an announcement with there being guarantee of procurement at the fixed price, he added, asking the central government to clarify the procurement plan for gram, mustard, maize and sunflower. He said the MSP was negligible due to rising inflation and cost of farming.

Hindustan Times

09-09-2021

Chandigarh