Congress' Randeep Surjewala moves adjournment motion in RS to discuss 'grave agrarian crisis', farmers' MSP demands

New Delhi [India], December 4 (ANI): Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala on Wednesday filed a Suspension of Business notice in Rajya Sabha under rule 267 on Wednesday, seeking to discuss 'grave agrarian crisis' and farmers' agitation over demands for a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP).
In a notice filed to the Rajya Sabha Secretary General, Surjewala said, "I hereby give notice under Rule 267 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) that this House suspend all scheduled business to discuss the grave agrarian crisis and the ongoing farmers agitation emanating on account of the demand for a legal guarantee for 'Minimum Support Price' and the determination of MSP at cost + 50 per cent i.c. C2 + 50 per cent, as per Swaminathan Commission."
"C2 is described by the Swaminathan Commission as input costs i.e. actual cost of production + family labour + rent/lcase of land + rent of machinery + cost of capital. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the year 2011 as Chief Minister of Gujarat, had advocated for a legal guarantee for MSP," he said.
"In the year 2012, PM Narendra Modi, as Chief Minister of Gujarat had written to the then Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, demanding a Iegal guarantee of MSP. The farmers are again marching towards Delhi demanding the above. An obvious impact of a lack of a legal guarantee of MSP is resulting in just a formal announcement of MSP without procurement of farmer's crop at MSP," read the notice.
The notice further said, "The recent procurement of paddy crop resulted in fanners getting prices ranging from 21,800-2,100 per quintal for paddy as against the MSP of 2 2,320 per quintal. This is the reason why procurement of Paddy crop during current kharif scason is approximately 6 lakh tonnes less, compared to the last year."
"The non-grant of a legal guarantee of MSP has resulted in non-procurement of crops at MSP, as evidenced in Rabi 2023-2024 (as replied in Parliament on 26.07.2024), when the Government admitted that Barley crop was not procured at all by the Govemment of India, only 0.37 per cent of the total production of Gram crop was procured, only 9.19 per cent of Rapescod and Mustard crop were procured, Sunflower crop was not procured at all by the Govemment of India and only 23.20% of Wheat crop was procured," said Surjewala.
Adding further, he said in the notice, "All these instances reflect the growing agrarian distress, which coupled with rural and hocutural debt, is causing an alarming sitation in the rural inter-land of India. Even public represcntatives and those holding high Constitutional posts have publicly expressed concers about the rural and agrarian distress. This requires an urgent discussion in the house by suspending all business."
Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh government formed a 5-member committee to address and find a solution to the ongoing farmers' agitation in the regions of Noida and Greater Noida.
According to an official release, the committee will be chaired by IAS Anil Kumar Sagar, who is the Principal Secretary of Infrastructure and Industrial Development in Uttar Pradesh.
The committee will consist of 5 members, which indicates a small but focused team with the expertise to handle the matter efficiently.
The committee is expected to submit its report and recommendations to the government within a period of one month.
Earlier on Tuesday, the UP police detained protesting farmers at Rashtriya Dalit Prerna Sthal in Noida.The protest, organized by the Bhartiya Kisan Parishad (BKP) along with other farmer groups, is being held to demand compensation and benefits related to agricultural reforms, including a legal guarantee for MSP.
Farmer leader and national spokesperson of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), Rakesh Tikait, claimed on Monday that farmers participating in the 'Delhi Chalo' protest were stopped by police barricades as they attempted to march towards Delhi, demanding solutions to agricultural issues and a legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP).
The protest, organised by the Bhartiya Kisan Parishad (BKP) and other farmer groups, comes amid heightened security measures and traffic advisories in the Noida-Delhi region.
Regarding Punjab farmers joining the 'Delhi Chalo' march on December 6, Rakesh Tikait said, "Punjab has a different system. They are different people."Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad on Tuesday criticized the BJP government for the "miserable" conditions faced by farmers.
He stated that despite repeated questions about farmers' issues in the UP assembly, the UP government has not formulated any policy regarding this matter.
"India's farmers are miserable under the BJP's double-engine government. The winter season has already begun, yet farmers have to spend the night outside to protect their fields from microbes and stray animals. Akhilesh Yadav has repeatedly raised questions on this issue in the UP assembly. Despite this, the UP government does not have any policy in this regard," he said. (ANI)