Ludhiana: Centre’s MSP hike a joke, says BKU

Kuldip Bhatia

Ludhiana, June 8

The BKU has rejected outright the hike announced by the Modi government in the MSP of various crops for the next season, terming it a joke with farmers.

While BKU-Lakhowal general secretary Harinder Singh Lakhowal has charged the Centre with betrayal of the farmers for taking an about-turn over its commitment of doubling the farmers’ income, BKU-Kadian chief Harmeet Singh Kadian has slammed the government alleging that all successive regimes have made tall promises to the farmers during elections, but failed to fulfil these.

Talking to The Tribune on the “so-called” hike in the MSP, Lakhowal said, “The hike is insignificant and a veiled attack on the farming community, which is going through tough times. Suicides by farmers are being reported from all over the country.”

The farm leader alleged that the Centre seemed to have forgotten its commitment made in public by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the government stood for “doubling” the income of farmers. How will a 4 to 10 per cent hike in the MSP of 10-odd crops double the income of farmers, he asked.

Meanwhile, at a meeting here today, the BKU-Kadian state committee said anything less than implementation of the recommendations of the MS Swaminathan Committee on crop prices and legal status for the MSP regime would not be acceptable to farmers as the cost of production of crops was going up due to a spurt in the prices of farm inputs.