Punjab govt warned against move to scrap MSP system

Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, March 8

The Bharti Kisan Union-Kadian (BKU) today warned the Punjab Government against any move to scrap the system of minimum support price (MSP) for purchase of food grain from farmers or any attempt to disband the Punjab Mandi Board which was the backbone of the marketing and processing of agricultural produce in the state.

He said in the absence of government procurement, farmers would be left to the mercy of private buyers who would go all out to exploit the farmers and sell food grain at higher rates to consumers.

Addressing the state committee meeting here, BKU chief Harmeet Singh Kadian expressed his concern over massive crop losses due to widespread rain and hailstorm in the state while demanding immediate special ‘girdawri’ to assess the extent of loss and payment of compensation to the farmers.

BKU secretary general Jagdev Singh Kanianwali flayed the government for backing out from the directions of the apex court for payment of Rs 100 per acre as compensation to the farmers who had not burnt stubble during the last crop season. “No budget provision has been made for payment of this compensation to farmers,” he said. He said provision of Rs 500 crore for landless farmers and Rs 1,400 crore for others was a cruel joke with the farming community which owed a staggering Rs 96,000 crore worth agricultural loans to banks.

Other speakers, including Kuldeep Singh Chak Bhaike and Talwinder Singh Gaggo, remarked that allocation of just Rs 50 crore for payment of sugarcane arrears which stood at around Rs 600 crore posed a big question mark on the policy of diversification being propagated by the government.

The BKU unanimously resolved to submit a memorandum to the Punjab Governor at Chandigarh on March 24, 2020 to press for acceptance of all pending demands of farmers like remission of debt, addressing problem of stray cattle, withdrawal of all cases registered against farmers under section 188 of the IPC, continuation with MSP regime and payment of sugarcane arrears.