Badal rejects move to freeze wheat MSP

Chandigarh, Dec 3 (IANS) Blaming the faulty policies of the central government for the miserable economic condition of the farmers, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal Monday rejected a move by a central panel recommending a freeze in the minimum support price (MSP) of wheat.

Outrightly rejecting the “irrational” proposal of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Pricing (CACP) to freeze the MSP on wheat and suggesting a Rs.40 per quintal as bonus on it, Badal Monday slammed the Congress-led UPA government for its “anti-farmer stance”.

He demanded that the MSP of wheat be fixed at Rs.1,800 per quintal against the last year’s MSP of Rs.1,285 per quintal.

Punjab alone contributes over 50 percent of the food grains (wheat and paddy) to the national kitty every year.

Badal said that the non-remunerative MSP coupled with anti-farmer policies of the central government was primarily responsible for the slowdown of the agricultural growth. He claimed that farmers were under a debt of thousands of crores.

He said that the central government should realize the contribution of Punjab farmers to make the country self-sufficient in food production and to ensure national food security.

IANS 2012-12-03 22:40:30