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Implement Swaminathan report in totality: Harsimrat
Harsimrat also demanded that the union government legalise MSP on crops as promised by it on December 9, 2021 when the farmers’ protest was lifted on assurance by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Tuesday demanded implementation of the Swaminathan report in totality by ensuring 50% profit on the total cost of the crop and legalising minimum support price, besides reduction in petroleum and cooking gas prices.
Participating in the discussion on price rise in the parliament, Harsimrat took on the NDA government for playing politics on the issue.
“The country has witnessed a 100% increase in the prices of diesel, fertiliser and pesticides in the last eight years. In a contrast, farmers have been given a 2% increase in MSP. This has had a catastrophic effect on both the farming community and the common man as prices of all essential commodities have gone through the roof,” she said in her address.
She said the BJP had claimed in 2015 that it would double farm income. “It is eight years now. Income of farmers has reduced in real terms. Instead of coming to terms with this reality, the government is not resolving the issue,” she said, demanding C-2 plus 50% formula listed in the Swaminathan report as MSP.
She also demanded that the union government legalise MSP on crops as promised by it on December 9, 2021 when the farmers’ protest was lifted on assurance by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“The centre gave an undertaking in writing that a committee would be formed to ensure farmers were able to avail MSP as their right. Now, however, the committee which has been formed in this context has been given the mandate of only making MSP more effective and transparent,” she added.
She also said it was unfortunate that the government had delayed discussion in the parliament on the issue of price rise for two weeks despite the fact that it was the number one demand in the all-party meeting held prior to the parliament session.
