Set up MSP panel as promised to farmers, Congress tells Centre

The party also demands a White Paper on the ‘prevailing foodgrain crisis’ in the country

Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda said his party stood with the demands of farmers and would support them in their agitation. | Photo Credit: PTI

The Narendra Modi government should honour its commitment to the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) of constituting a committee on minimum support price (MSP) for crops and bring out a White Paper on the “prevailing foodgrain crisis” in the country, the Congress said on Thursday.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, Rajya Sabha member and Haryana leader Deepender Hooda said his party stood with the demands of farmers and would support them in their agitation.

He said the Congress would extend full support to the SKM that was holding Vishwasghaat (betrayal)seminars from July 18 to 31 across the country and would take up their cause in Parliament.

Slamming the Modi government over procurement of foodgrains, Mr. Hooda claimed that foodgrain stocks in India were at a 15-year low and per capita stocks at a 50-year low. This had forced the Centre to reduce wheat allocations to 10 States, including BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, he alleged.

“We want to tell the government to immediately set up the MSP committee as promised to farmers by the Prime Minister to provide a legal guarantee to minimum support price. The government should also publish a White Paper on the current crisis of foodgrains, clearly spelling out who has benefited from the export of wheat. The White Paper should also be on the procurement and public distribution system policy in the country,” he told reporters.

Agnipath scheme

The Haryana Congress leader alleged that the government was playing around with national security by launching the Angipath recruitment policy and with food security by allowing export of wheat.

“The BJP government’s motto is to stand with some big industrialists and serve them while exploiting farmers and farm labourers,” Mr. Hooda said.

Taking a dig at the Modi government, the Congress leader said the promise of doubling farmers’ income and setting up a committee on MSP was now in the same category of “unfulfilled” promises of providing two crore jobs and bringing black money from abroad.

“This may be viewed as either a jumla (rhetoric) or betrayal with farmers,” he alleged.