Latest news with #SwaminathanCommission


Hindustan Times
5 hours ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Punjab: Paddy MSP hike meagre, says SKM
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has condemned the minimum support price (MSP) that was announced for 14 crops for the current kharif season by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on May 28. The government has increased the paddy rate to ₹2,369 per quintal (100 kg) from last year's ₹2,300. In a statement, the SKM mentioned, 'The MSP is not based on Swaminathan Commission's recommendation of C2+50% formula. Had it been implemented, the paddy MSP should have been ₹3,135 per quintal. The average production in India for paddy is 25-30 quintals per acre and the loss due to non-implementation of Swaminathan Commission's recommendation for farmers on one-acre production will be in the range of ₹19,150 to ₹22,980, which is three times higher than ₹6,000 being provided under the PM Kisan Nidhi,' the SKM leaders stated. The C2 formula of calculating the cost of cultivation includes the cost of capital and the rent on the land to give farmers 50% returns. A senior SKM leader, Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan, said the group and the farmer's organisations across the country were consistently demanding implementation of the C2+50% formula for MSP with guaranteed procurement as promised in the election manifesto of the BJP in the 2014 general election. 'However, the BJP-led Union government under PM Modi has been betraying the farmers for the 12th year by not increasing the MSP using the C2+50% formula,' he said. The SKM added the rate of inflation and the rising prices of fertilisers, seed and other input materials, including petroleum products, and the living cost were much higher than the MSP hike. The SKM has also decided to ensure active participation in a nationwide general strike at tehsil and block level on July 9.


The Hindu
18 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Implement ‘cost plus 50% formula' while fixing MSP, farmers' body urges the Union government
The Andhra Pradesh Farmers' Associations Coordination Committee State convener Vadde Sobhanadreeswara Rao has demanded that the Union government implement the C2 + 50% formula (a remunerative price of at least 50% above the comprehensive cost of cultivation--C2) for Minimum Support Price (MSP) as suggested by noted agricultural scientist M.S. Swaminathan. At a press meet on Sunday, the former Minister said that it was unfortunate that the Union government had failed to implement the Swaminathan Commission recommendations. The current government, which came to power promising to implement MSP at 50% above the comprehensive production cost, has deceived farmers by not fulfilling that promise. Despite the assurances given during the historic farmers' protest, the Union government has not formed an MSP committee. Moreover, it is announcing MSPs arbitrarily without even consulting leaders of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha and this was highly objectionable, he said. Mr. Rao criticised the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in Andhra Pradesh for focusing intensely on attracting industries, while showing no concern for farmers, who constitute 62% of the State's population. He slammed Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, alleging that no crop in the State is currently receiving even the minimum support price. In Telangana, a ₹500/quintal bonus is being given over and above MSP for A-grade rice. Similarly, governments in Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Kerala, and Odisha are providing bonuses to support farmers. He condemned the Andhra Pradesh government for failing to even consider giving a bonus based on cultivation cost. K.V.V. Prasad, the state general secretary of the Andhra Pradesh Rythu Sangham, said it was outrageous to increase the MSP for paddy by a mere ₹69 per quintal, and demanded that the government fix MSP at ₹3,135 per quintal, which includes 50% above comprehensive production costs. Y. Keshav Rao, senior leader of the Rythu Sangham, Simhadri Jhansi, president of the AP Agricultural Workers' Union, P. Jamalayya, State general secretary of the Andhra Pradesh Tenant Farmers' Association. D. Harinath, State general secretary of the All India Kisan Mahasabha and others spoke.


United News of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- United News of India
PM's address devoid of burning issues: GA
Patna, May 30 (UNI) Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not focusing the burning issues like corruption, unemployment, law and order, reservation, martyrs status to the soldiers and special package or special status to Bihar during his two day state visit, the Grand Alliance (GA) alleged that the PM's addressed was on the tune of his script writers. In a joint press conference of the GA, the RJD chief spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha said here on Friday that the road show of the prime minister in the state capital was devoid of any show due to poor turnout. He alleged that instead of replying to the important issues raised by the RJD, the speech of the Prime Minister contained nothing new and was far from reality. The RJD leader alleged that the investments were being made in Gujarat, whereas Bihar was being used only as a political battleground. Speaking about reservation, Jha said that the Prime Minister did not utter even a single word for incorporating the 65 percent reservation facility provision of which was made by the previous GA government of Bihar, in the 9th schedule of the constitution. The Prime Minister also did not speak even a single word on the issue of either giving special status or a special package to Bihar, he quipped. Jha further alleged that the Prime Minister, who has raised fingers several times on corruption, did not disclose why the ED had raided and the charge sheet was filed against an officer under the double-engine government of the NDA in Bihar. The RJD leader said that the valour of Indian soldiers was being widely discussed, but the Prime Minister neither met the family members of any of the martyrs nor spoke even a single word to them. He said that the leader of the opposition in Bihar assembly, Tejaswi Prasad Yadav, had demanded to give kartut status to the soldiers sacrificing their lives during operations Sindhur but this too could not get a place in the speech of the PM during his Bihar visit. On this occasion CPIML leader K.D Yadav alleged that the Prime Minister was not paying attention to the demands for central university status to the most prestigious Patna University of Bihar. The NDA government was also not working in the interest of the farmers and rural women, he alleged. CPIM Central committee member Awdhesh Kumar, outlining the plights of the farmers asked the Prime Minister to tell the time frame by which the Swaminathan Commission report would be implemented in the interest of the farmers. Vikassheel Insan Party ( VIP) National vice president V K Singh said that the Prime Minister should explain why he did not go to Kashmir from Delhi and send the message that he would take revenge for Pahalgam. CPI leader Nivedita Jha said that the entire nation was aggrieved by the Pahalgam incident, but the Prime Minister was taking political mileage out of it. She said that the issue of distributing vermilion was being raised by the BJP, while everybody knows that it is sacred for Indian women who put it in the name of their spouse to honour them. UNI RS BD


The Hindu
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Centre's MSP does not cover input costs, claims Congress
The Congress on Thursday (May 29, 2025) claimed that the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Kharif crops did not even cover the input costs and accused the Modi government of deceiving farmers in the name of MSP. 'The MSP has become the maximum suffering for the producers,' Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala told reporters at a press conference. Mr. Surjewala said the Centre is crediting itself for declaring a higher MSP for crops, but the reality is that the MSP is far lower than the 'cost (C2) plus 50 per cent' formula recommended by the Swaminathan Commission. He said while the Centre has declared MSP, it is hardly buying crops at that rate and farmers are being 'cheated'. 'What is the point of announcing the MSP when there is no purchase?' he asked. Referring to the MSP on paddy announced by the Centre, the Congress leader claimed that it was ₹766 lower than the C2 plus 50% formula. Mr. Surjewala said the right MSP should have been ₹3,135, while the government had announced only ₹2,369 MSP for the paddy. He said even the NDA/BJP-ruled States had said that the input costs were more than the MSP and Bihar, Gujarat and Maharashtra had recommended MSP of ₹3,260, ₹3,000 and ₹4,783 respectively. Mr. Surjewala asserted that the 'marginal increase' in MSP by the government is less than the inflation rate as farmers' costs are rising due to the increase in prices of diesel, electricity, seeds and fertilizers. He also referred to the reduction of ₹24,000 crore in fertilizer subsidy by the government.