MSP panel formation delayed as SKM yet to give names, says Tomar
KARNAL : Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar said on Friday that the Centre was committed to fulfilling its commitment to form a committee on the minimum support price (MSP) as soon as it receives names of representatives from the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM).
“The SKM did not give names of its representatives for the committee, thus delaying its formation,” the minister said during an interaction with media on the sidelines of a programme organised by the Icar-national Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, on the completion of its 99 years.
Tomar’s response came after SKM leaders, including Rakesh Tikait, accused the government on several occasions of turning back from its promises of forming a committee for guaranteed MSP.
Replying to a query on the promise of doubling farmers’ income by 2022, the Union minister said the government has succeeded to some extent in this regard, giving an example of saffron growers of Jammu and Kashmir.
The minister said there is a need to bring in more private investment in the agriculture sector to fill the gaps. He said Rs 1 lakh crore infrastructure fund was created and Rs 9,000 crore has already been approved by the banks. He also slammed the previous governments for not implementing the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission.
“In 2006, the Swaminathan Commission had recommended the MSP above 50% of the input cost be given to farmers. But the then government did nothing in this direction till 2014. PM Narendra Modi implemented the recommendation and farmers are now getting 50% above the input cost,” he claimed.
The Union minister ducked a query on SYL Canal saying these are hypothetical and politically-motivated questions that should not be given importance.
Earlier, he congratulated scientists and staff of the National Dairy Research Institute for their achievements.
He said the dairy sector plays a vital role in improving the rural economy and increasing farmers’ income.
Tomar called upon NDRI scientists to double the achievements of 99 years in the next 10 years and adopt 100 villages under the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav initiative of the government. On this occasion, the agriculture minister inaugurated a pillar, depicting the achievements of the National Dairy Research Institute and an oxygen park on the institute’s premises.
The minister also launched two android applications developed by NDRI scientists. The first will help in detection of heat among animals with the help of saliva drop and the second app is for climate-related advisory.
Govt deliberately evading the guaranteed MSP: Charuni
The Union minister’s statement evoked immediate response from farmer leader Gurnam Singh Charuni who said the SKM had written to the government about the functions, members and powers of the committee but it did not respond and is deliberately evading the guaranteed minimum support price.
He said that the union minister’s statement on implementation of the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission is misleading as they have twisted the formula suggested to calculate the input cost of the crops.
He also said that the private investment in the agriculture sector will give a boost to the privatization and farmers will not allow this.