Government deceiving farmers in the name of MSP: Congress

The Congress on Thursday accused the Modi government of deceiving farmers across the country in the name of the minimum support price (MSP), stating that it does not even cover the input costs while most of the crops are not being purchased under it as well.

Advertisement

“The MSP has become the 'maximum suffering for the producers',” MP and senior party leader Randeep Singh Surjewala said while addressing reporters at AICC office here.

Referring to the MSP on paddy announced by the government, it was Rs 766 less than the input costs. He said while the input cost of the paddy per quintal was Rs 3,135, the government had announced only Rs 2,369 MSP. He said even the BJP-ruled states had said that the input costs were more than the MSP.

“The input costs of paddy per quintal for Bihar, Gujarat and Maharashtra were Rs 3,260, Rs 3,000 and Rs 4,783, respectively,” he said.

He said the marginal increase in MSP by the government is less than the inflation rate. He added that farmers' costs are rising due to the increase in prices of diesel, electricity, seeds and fertilisers, but the government is not even covering their basic expenses. He also referred to the reduction of Rs 24,000 crore in fertiliser subsidy by the government.

Besides, he added, the government does not purchase all the crops for which it has announced the MSP. “What is the point of announcing the MSP when there is no purchase?” he asked.

The Congress general secretary said that the Parliament’s Standing Committee on Agriculture had recommended the MSP guarantee law and removal of GST on agricultural products, but the government trashed that report.

He also accused the government of not spending Rs 3 lakh crore allocated for farming schemes.