Congress flays Modi govt on MSP hike, demands further increase

A day after the central government announced increased MSP for Kharif crops, the opposition Congress on Tuesday flayed the move and claimed the farmers were being given too little and that input cost had not been taken into account for MSP calculation.

The Congress leader demanded further increase in MSP of different crops and an assurance from the government that the produce will be procured in time.

Punjab Congress President Sunil Jakhar, who raised the issue on behalf of his party, said: "Farmer is also a corona warrior but nobody cheered him for his contribution. Even the Prime Minister has left him at God's mercy."

The Congress said that due to reverse migration of farm labourers, the agricultural cost had increased in many states and government has neglected this factor while announcing the MSP.

The Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP) report is not in public domain and talk of agricultural reforms remains within the inter-ministerial group while the states -- which are stakeholders -- don't even know about it, said Jakhar.

Jakhar alleged that in many states, the crop procurement was not done as per the MSP and farmers were forced to sell their yield in the open market.

"The government is not able to procure all farm produce, with a major chunk of its procurement comprising paddy and wheat," the Congress leader said.

Earlier, senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel said: "If this is going to be the government's attitude towards farmers, their promise to double the farmers' income by 2022 will end up becoming another 'jumla'."

"Forget about profit, this so-called raise in Kharif crops MSP won't even cover their losses and debts," he added

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday approved an increase in the MSPs for all mandated Kharif crops for marketing season 2020-21.

The highest increase in MSPs is for niger seed (Rs 755 per quintal) followed by sesamum (Rs 370 per quintal), urad (Rs 300 per quintal) and cotton (long staple) (Rs 275 per quintal).