Tripura CM slams BJP for not implementing Swaminathan report

HISAR: Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar on Tuesday slammed the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre for failing to implement the report of the Swaminathan Commission, despite its promise in this regard ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

The panel had recommended that the government should ensure at least 50% profit to the farmer over and above the cost inputs, while fixing the minimum support price (MSP) of a crop.

Talking to HT, he also blamed the Narendra Modi government for the increasing incidents of suicide among farmers. “Over 12, 000 farmers are committing suicide in India every year,” said Sarkar, who also addressed the 34th All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) conference here.

“The farmers are dying because they are not getting MSP on their yield. Farmers go for bank loans to meet their needs and when they fail to repay, they choose the option of suicide. Ahead of 2014 general elections, the BJP government had assured farmers that they will implement the Swaminathan report,” Sarkar said.

Addressing the AIKS rally, Sarkar said, “Earlier, the Congress government worked for big corporate houses. Now, the BJP is doing the same thing. The BJP and Congress are two sides of the same coin. ”

He asked farmers to launch a concerted struggle to secure their rights. “Farmer leaders should sit together and chalk out their future course of action,” he said. “Now farmers will not end their lives, but will fight like their brethren in Maharashtra and Rajasthan.”