CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury has called for a legislation mandating the Union government to fix an annual Minimum Support Price (MSP) for all agriculture products, which should be one and half times of the production cost.
Speaking on the sidelines of the EMS Smrity, a remembrance programme of Communist ideologue EMS, Mr. Yechury said that the CPI(M) will raise the demand during the Monsoon session of Parliament.
Loan waiver is a temporary relief. Only a law to revive MSP annually will bring a permanent solution for the farmer’s problem, he said.
“The loan waiving was a promise given by Prime Minister Modi in his election manifesto. But he betrayed the farmers. He also promised to revive MSP in accordance with Swaminathan Commission recommendation. But has not implemented both promises.”
The Centre is now asking the State governments to find funds for loan waiving. This is a strange abdication of the responsibility, he noted. “We would like to ask the Modi government what they are celebrating. They betrayed the farmers, the food producers of the country. And they betrayed the youth too.”