Farmers Movement Archive

Haryana CM says law guaranteeing MSP ‘not possible’ as farmers press for key demand

Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday said that it is not possible to draft a law guaranteeing the minimum support price (MSP) to farmers as it would put pressure on the government to buy their produce in case nobody else does. Notably, the statement from the veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader came on the day thousands of protesting farmers marked one year of the movement against three contentious pieces of agriculture legislation, also vowing to keep the movement alive to ensure the demand for MSP for a range of crops is guaranteed.Also Read | Rakesh Tikait: MSP our key demand, govt has time to think till winter sessionSpeaking to reporters who asked him about the demands of the farmers to regularise MSP, Khattar said, “Till now, no discussions have been held on this (on regularising MSP). Agricultural economists also have varied opinions.”“It does not seem possible to draft a law on this,” the ANI news agency quoted the Haryana chief minister as saying. “A law on MSP is not possible because if a law is made on this, then the onus will come on the government, in the sense that if their produce is not bought, then the government will have to buy it.”“The government does not require so much and to make a system on this is also not possible. We will buy as per the requirement,” he added.The Haryana chief minister on Friday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence in New Delhi, following which he made the aforementioned remarks.Several farmer unions, under the umbrella of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), have been spearheading nationwide protests against the three central farm laws since November last year. Although the Narendra Modi-led government recently announced that the contentious laws will be repealed, the farmers maintained that there are several demands pending, including those related to MSP for crops.Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait said a day ago that the “main demand” is the MSP and now that the government has time to think about the demands, the procedures undertaken in the forthcoming winter session of Parliament will influence the future of the farmers' protests. “The rollback of the three laws was beneficial for the common man,” Tikait said while addressing the farmers at the UP Gate. “Our demand is for a law guaranteeing MSP for a range of crops. The government has time to think and understand our demands till the winter session goes on in Parliament. The winter session will decide the future course of our agitation.”Meanwhile, the SKM will on Saturday take a call on the future course of action of the entire movement, according to Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) spokesperson Rakesh Tikait and Swaraj Abhiyan leader Yogendra Yadav.

Hindustan Times

27-11-2021

India