Chandigarh, July 5, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President and Lok Sabha MP Mr. Sunil Jakhar has termed the marginal increase of MSP of cotton and paddy by Union Government as a cruel joke with farmers of country. He said that the stand taken by the Akali Dal on this issue has also exposed this party’s anti-farmer face.
In a statement issued here today, Mr. Sunil Jakhar said that it is well know that the Modi government of the Center has been misleading farmers since 2014, but the present stand of SAD leaders has also exposed them, who mortgaged the interests of farmer with NDA government only to fulfill its greed to hold just one union cabinet ministry berth. He said that when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s government was at the center, the then CM Punjab Mr. Parkash Singh Badal and Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal never forgot to criticize center on the crop price issue and at that time they had demanded Rs 1800/- MSP for Paddy. But now when SAD is the partner in NDA government at center and even after completion of 4 year in the power, the NDA government still has not fulfilled the SAD demands, but surprisingly now SAD leaders have nothing to say which reflects their double character on the issues related with farmers.
Mr. Jakhar once again reminded the Akali leaders that when the Congress-led government was at the Center during its second tenure in 2009-2014, it had increased MSP of Paddy by 69 % and of cotton by 80 %, while Modi Government during last four years has increased MSP of Paddy only by 41 % and of Cotton by 43 %. He said that the statements made by the Modi government to double the income of the farmers by 2022 are a hoax whereas the farmer’s growth rate is declining with every passing day.
Mr. Jakhar said that in 2013-14, the price of diesel was Rs r45 per lit whereas now it touches mark of Rs 70, and only during last one year diesel prices were hiked by Rs 15 per liter. In such a case, the marginal increase in the prices of the Kharif crops is not enough to even compensate the effect of diesel price hike.
He further said that the increase in MSP of maize is also has no value for the peasantry because the central government does not even procure a single grain of maize from Punjab. He said that last year the MSP for maize was Rs. 1425 but actually it was sold out at Rs 1250 per qt by farmers to private traders. He said that the average yield of maize was 30 quintals per acre, and in the absence of government purchase, this year again market prices of maize are same as of last year and due to this maize growers will bear Rs 5250 per acre loss.
Mr. Jakhar said that during the budget session, the announcement of giving one and a half times the MSP of the cost of production was made but it was not also fulfilled by Modi Government as A2+FL formula is not implemented to calculate the cost of production of crops.
The Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President said that the farmers are very aware now and they will root out the Modi government from power in next general elections of the country. He said that the people of Punjab had already realized the real political position of party to the Akali Dal in the 2017 Vidhan Sabha elections.
