The ruling BJD, Opposition Congress, Left parties, SP and farmers organisations on Wednesday dubbed the Rs 200 hike in Minimum Support Price of paddy announced by the centre as a “great betrayal”.
The ruling BJD said it had demanded Rs 2,930 per quintal as the MSP on paddy taking into the production cost and the pre-poll promise of the BJP in 2014.
The hike of Rs 200 taking the MSP to Rs 1,750 per quintal is a big let down to the farming community, said Mr P K Deb, MP and spokesperson of the BJD here.
“ We welcome any hike in MSP, but at the same time we insist that the central government ought to have kept its promise and implemented the Swaminathan Committee report” said Deb.
He took the opportunity to point out that Odisha had repeatedly demanded a MSP of Rs 2930 per quintal of paddy since the cost of production in the state is Rs 1344.
Deb said the centre has also said that if state governments provide bonus to farmers on the MSP, the FCI will not participate in procurement. This virtually blocks the state government was giving some money by way of bonus to the farmer, he alleged.
It may be noted here that PM Narendra Modi did not even respond, let alone, give an appointment to a committee of the Odisha Assembly headed by the Speaker to raise the MSP issue.
Other political parties and farmer outfits too condemned the central government for failing and betraying the farmers with a minimal revision against the promised one and half times of production cost.
OPCC president Niranjan Patnaik questioned “What happened to the 1.5 times production cost promise of PM Modi”. The MSP for paddy for 2017-18 was Rs 1,550 per quintal. The hike of Rs 200 per quintal is not sufficient and remunerative, alleged Odisha PCC president.
He noted that this year the announcement of MSP for kharif has been delayed almost for one month. Prior to this usually the MSP was announced in first or second week of June.
In spite of inordinate delay BJP govt. has not given proper attention to the input cost of agri produce.
Meanwhile, state BJP activists here celebrated the hike in MSP by dancing to the tune of drums and lauding the central government. Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan hit back at the BJD and the Congress saying both have no moral right to speak about farmers.
The ruling BJD and chief minister Naveen Patnaik have done precious little for the farmers in Odisha, he said. When other states are providing bonus to farmers and have waived farm loan why is chief minister Naveen Patnaik not extending the same to peasants of Odisha, he asked.
Pradhan said the CM had announced Rs 100 per quintal bonus during the drought season but had forgotten to give it. The Congress should also look back at its own track record between 2004-2014 when it was in power and the percentage of increase in MSP during those years, he chided.