Farmers Movement Archive

Varun Gandhi to pilot first private member bill on MSP, recommends implementation of Swaminathan panel report

Bareilly: BJP MP Varun Gandhi, who has been vocal on farmers’ issues on social media for quite a while, will be piloting a private member bill for minimum support price (MSP) of crops in Parliament. He has submitted the bill “The Farmers’ Right To Guaranteed Minimum Support Price Realisation Of Agri-Produce Bill, 2021” in Parliament but it is yet to be introduced. The proposed legislation came a week after the central government had introduced a bill to repeal the three farm laws against which farmers had been protesting for almost a whole year. Over the past few months, the Pilibhit MP has openly been supporting the farmers’ cause, calling them “own flesh and blood” and recommending the need to “understand their pain, their point of view and work with them in reaching common ground”. Speaking to TOI, Gandhi said, “For 70 years, farmers have not received adequate compensation for their crops. It is important to create an institutionalised and enforceable mechanism that ensures fiscal security for them. The financial burden will not be on the state as has been argued. It will merely be shifting of money from a few lakh traders to crores of farmers who actually need and deserve that money.” The bill aims at providing a legally- guaranteed minimum support price (MSP) for 22 crops that should be set at a profit margin of 50% over the comprehensive cost of production. Gandhi has also suggested the creation of a separate department for implementation of both MSP and the Swaminathan Committee report. Giving details, the MP said, “As recommended by the Swaminathan Committee-2006, the MSP should be set at a profit margin of 50% over the comprehensive cost of production which includes actual paid expenses on inputs, value of unpaid family labour and foregone rentals on farmland and fixed agricultural assets.” He added, “The bill provides for creation of a separate department under the ministry of agriculture and farmers’ welfare for implementation of the said law. It should be headed by a separate decision-making body comprising farmer representatives, public officials and experts in agricultural policy.” He further said that “in cases where the MSP is not realised, the government should pay the difference in value between sale price and MSP within a week from the matter being reported.”

The Times of India

2021-12-13

Bareilly