Inflation even in commodities that we were self-sufficient in: Raghav Chadha in RS

Chadha spoke in the Upper House on issues ranging from rising rural inflation, food inflation, and unemployment during a discussion on the Union Budget

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha on Thursday criticised the government on the falling rural income and rising rural inflation.

The AAP leader also suggested that the government must rework their agricultural pricing formula . (ANI photo)

Attacking the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government, Chadha spoke in the Upper House on issues ranging from rising rural inflation, food inflation, and unemployment during a discussion on the Union Budget which was announced by the Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday.

“Close to 7% of India’s population live in villages. The situation today is such that an average daily wage worker who in 2014 could have bought 3 kg of Arhar daal, can buy only 1.5 kg of the same daal today,” Chaddha said.

He also mentioned that this situation is a result of rising inflation and falling wages.

“Food inflation has remained between 9 to 9.5%. We are experiencing inflation even in commodities that we were self-sufficient in and exporting.”

He also mentioned that the price of one kilogram of wheat which was ₹21 in 2014, has risen to ₹42 per kg in 2024.

The AAP leader also suggested that the government must rework their agricultural pricing formula along with legalising a Minimum Support Price (MSP) in accordance with the Swaminathan Commission.

The National Commission on Farmers, chaired by agricultural scientist MS Swaminathan, in 2004, submitted a report to the government in 2006, suggesting that the solution to the farm crisis was to provide remunerative prices to the farmer.

The commission recommended that the MSP should be 1.5 times the farmers’ input costs.