UPA rejected Swaminathan suggestion on MSP, says Shivraj Chouhan, triggers row
- In Reports
- 10:30 PM, Jul 26, 2024
- Myind Staff
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan informed the Rajya Sabha on Friday that the government is still awaiting a report from the committee on minimum support prices (MSP) for farm produce. He stated that the government will make a decision once the committee's views are received.
Chouhan was responding to a question from Samajwadi Party (SP) member Ramji Lal Suman regarding whether the Centre would introduce a law to provide a legal guarantee for MSPs during the current session.
The previous Modi-led government established the MSP committee after a year-long farmers' agitation in 2020-21, which called for a law to make MSPs binding. An MSP, or Minimum Support Price, is a federally fixed floor price designed to help prevent distress sales by farmers.
“The committee was formed with specific objectives. It is to ensure MSP for farmers…also, to give more autonomy to the commission for agricultural costs and prices and to improve marketing for higher price realisation,” Chouhan said.
Chouhan’s reply prompted protests from the Opposition, which accused the minister of avoiding a "straightforward" question. In response, Chouhan highlighted that the previous Prime Minister Manmohan Singh-led government had rejected the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendation that MSPs should provide a 50% return over the costs of cultivation.
Citing a cabinet note from July 28, 2007, the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister said the Congress-led government refused to implement the MSP suggestion, adding it could distort the market.
“On the Swaminathan report’s recommendation that MSP should give 50% returns over costs, the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government clearly stated, and I’m quoting Cabinet notes, that implementing this suggestion can create market distortions,” Chouhan said.
Heated arguments centred around the Swaminathan report when lawmaker Suman, in his question, asked if the Centre would provide a legal guarantee for MSPs "as per the Swaminathan committee recommendation."
However, the Swaminathan panel did not recommend a law to support MSPs. It did suggest that MSPs should be at least 50% higher than the weighted average cost of production. In the 2018-19 Budget, the Modi government announced that MSPs would be set to ensure cultivators receive a 50% return over their costs.
Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala protested, saying the minister was digressing instead of answering a specific question. Suman asked, “How long will you wait for the MSP committee? Will you give a legal guarantee or not?”
“Farmers are like God for us. Under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, our government will spare no efforts to improve farm incomes and double them,” Chouhan said amid the ruckus.
The Swaminathan Panel, officially known as the National Commission on Farmers, was established by the Manmohan Singh government to enhance agricultural productivity. It submitted five reports between December 2004 and October 2006.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, in a post on X, said the farm minister was asked a “direct and straight-forward question, but for 30 minutes he stonewalled and went round and round in order to avoid answering the question”.
Image source: ANI
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