Hyderabad: The farmers’ organisations part of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) have appealed to all the State governments to push the demand for the enactment of MSP Guarantee Act, at a time when the Centre has announced an increase in the minimum support price (MSP) of 14 crops for this Kharif season.
While welcoming the announcement of the State government on the implementation of farmers’ debt relief in one installment by August 15th, the farmer organizations said that they were still awaiting the release of exact guidelines and the GO for the loan waiver.
They also felt that since the experience from Telangana showed that the fiscal burden of the debt relief was very high for any state government, it is hence the responsibility of the Centre to provide support for debt relief for farmers across the country.
Addressing the media at the Basheerbagh Press Club on Tuesday, the leaders of farmers’ organisations said that the farmers were disappointed by the Modi government’s Kharif MSP announcement, because in most of the crops, the increase was only 5%-7% and only 1.4% in case of moong.
“This is barely keeping up with the inflation rate, whereas the rise in cultivation costs is higher. The government is following the same policy of nominal increases which it has been doing the past few years, instead of implementing the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendation of C2+50%. How can the farmers’ lives get better under this government,” asked Vissa Kiran, one of the representatives of the farmers’ organisations.
Former MP and agriculture minister Vadde Sobhanadreeswara Rao, who is also a national leader of SKM said that the Modi government was once again ignoring the demands of the farmers for implementation of Swaminathan Commission recommendations, and for a Legal Guarantee of MSP.
“What is the use of the government nominally increasing the MSPs, when most of the farmers are not getting even the announced MSPs? Now, we urge all the State governments, including the Telangana and A.P. governments to write to the Centre demanding the MSP Guarantee Act and support from the Centre to ensure that every farmer gets MSP. The Centre also has the responsibility to support debt relief for farmers to address the farmers’ distress,” he said.
The farmer organization leaders announced that SKM was planning to hold a national meeting in Delhi on July 10th to decide on further course of action.
| 
