In a significant development, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, along with senior leader Rahul Gandhi made a notable announcement on Tuesday. They declared that the I.N.D.I.A bloc would bring a legislation ensuring Minimum Support Price (MSP) for various crops, if the Opposition alliance is voted to power in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Notably, this is the long pending demand of the farmers across the country.
The assurance to implement a law safeguarding MSP for various agricultural produce comes as a crucial promise from the Congress leadership. Kharge emphasized the party's commitment to addressing the concerns and welfare of farmers, highlighting the essential role they play in the nation's economy.
What did Rahul Gandhi say?
Taking to 'X', Rahul Gandhi said today is the "historic day for farmer brothers." "Congress has decided to give a legal guarantee of MSP to every farmer on crops as per Swaminathan Commission. This step will change the lives of 15 crore farmer families by ensuring their prosperity," he posted. "This is the first guarantee of Congress on the path of Nyay (justice), the post further added.
What is Minimum Support Price (MSP)?
The Minimum Support Price (MSP) is a form of market intervention by the Government of India to shield agricultural producers from significant drops in farm prices. Announced at the onset of the sowing season for specific crops, these minimum support prices are determined based on recommendations from the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP). The primary aim of the MSP is to ensure that farmers are protected against steep declines in prices during years of bumper production.
Through the MSP mechanism, the government aims to achieve several key objectives. Firstly, it seeks to shield farmers from the adverse effects of distress sales, thereby providing them with a safety net against market volatility. Additionally, the procurement of food grains at MSP rates facilitates the accumulation of stocks for public distribution, thereby contributing to food security initiatives.
In instances where the market price for a particular commodity falls below the announced minimum price, often due to excess production and oversupply, government agencies step in to purchase the entire quantity offered by farmers at the established minimum price. This intervention serves to stabilize prices and mitigate the adverse impacts of market fluctuations on farmers' incomes.
Farmers protest 2024
As farmers in large numbers marched towards the national capital on Tuesday, the police fired tear gas on the protestors at the Punjab-Haryana Shambhu Border. The police also deployed concrete slabs, iron nails, barricades, barbed wires, and police and paramilitary personnel at Kurukshetra in Haryana in view of the 'Delhi Chalo' march by the farmers.
The protesting farmers have presented a list of 12 demands to the central government. According to the protesting farmers, the centre promised them better crop prices after which they ended the 2021 protest. At the forefront of their demands is the enactment of a law guaranteeing a Minimum Support Price (MSP) for all crops, a measure advocated by the Swaminathan Commission report.
In addition to MSP assurance, the farmers are calling for a comprehensive debt waiver programme and the establishment of a pension scheme for both farmers and farm labourers. Furthermore, they are vehemently opposing the Electricity Amendment Bill 2020 and are urging for the reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act of 2013. This reinstatement would entail provisions ensuring farmers' consent and compensation set at four times the collector rate.
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