Modi govt cheating farmers: PPCC chief Jakhar on MSP

Centre should ensure that procurement is done at the set minimum support price. SUNIL JAKHAR, PPCC president

GURDASPUR: Congress organised a demonstration against the Modi government in front of the Parliament House in New Delhi on Thursday. The protest was under the leadership of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president and Gurdaspur MP Sunil Jakhar.

They were protesting over crop procurement being done below the minimum support price (MSP) declared by the Union government. Congress MPS from different states participated in the protest and raised slogans against PM Modi. Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia, Santokh Chaudhary, Gurjit Singh Aujla, Sushmita Dev, Sashi Tharoor, Gaurav Gogoi, KC Venugopal, and Rajiv Satav were present during the protest.

Jakhar said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi is claiming that his government is providing MSP at the rate of 1.5 times the cost of production to the farmer, but these claims are bogus.”

He said that the central government has notified the MSP of maize at ₹1,700 per quintal this year, but it is being sold at ₹600700 per quintal in many states including Punjab.

Sharing the official data, he said that on July 12, the price of maize in Punjab was ₹660, on July 14 it was ₹600 and on July 16 it was ₹700. He said that these figures expose the truth of Modi government’s claims.

“Declaring MSP in not enough. If the Centre is worried about farmers, procurement at MSP should be ensured,” he said.