New Delhi : The opposition in Rajya Sabha Thursday slammed the BJP-led government for failing to bailout farmers from an agrarian crisis.
Initiating the discussion on the issue in the upper house Thursday, Congress leader Anand Sharma urged government to formulate a national policy to protect the interests of farmers by increasing minimum support price (MSP) and supporting them to increase country’s food production.
“Farmer suicides are taking place across the country… and you are giving loan on seven percent interest. We had waived off loans of Rs.72,000 crore, government can waive off the interest atleast,” he said.
“Diesel prices went down international market, but you increased the cess. Fertiliser prices have gone up, irrigation is in poor situation, ground water is depleting, electricity is not enough… And you asked Food Corporation of India to decrease procurement by 30 percent, what was you thought behind it?” Sharma asked.
“It is a matter of national concern. Give farmers relief, increase the minimum support prices. Do you not have any responsibility? It is such a big crisis, and not a single statement has come from government,” he said.
Also hitting out at the government, Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav said: “For paddy, minimum support price is Rs.1,360, and in the market, traders are buying it for Rs.900. It is not just about paddy, cotton, jute, every farmer is suffering.”
“Find a mechanism that the price given to farmers and the prices in the consumer market do not have a huge gap,” he said.
Yadav also suggested support to cattle rearing and encouraging food processing industry so that farmers get additional support.A
Janata Dal-United’s K.C. Tyagi asked government to increase allocation for agriculture.
“You can allot Rs.70,000 crore for bullet train and the same budget has just Rs. 1,000 crore for agriculture… this will not help, increase allocation for agriculture,” he said.
“Encourage farmers by announcing rewards for high production,” he said.
BJP leader Ram Narayan Dudi however blamed the former government for the poor situation of farmers.
“Several commissions have been made. The Swaminathan Committee report said 50 percent of production cost should be given as bonus to farmer. But the report was thrown in waste paper basket. If the government had then taken action, the situation would not have been such,” he said.