Congress says hike in MSP grossly insufficient, accuses government of betraying farmers

New Delhi [India], September 9 (ANI): Congress on Thursday accused the BJP-led government of "conspiracy" against farmers over the MSP and said they should be paid for their labour and the growing input cost of the produce.
In a statement, Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala alleged that the hike in minimum support price (MSP) for Rabi crops announced by the Centre on Wednesday was "grossly insufficient" and the government had "betrayed" the farmers.
He said the MSP did not meet the promise of providing farmers with 50 per cent price above the input costs.
He said that the input cost of agriculture had gone up by Rs 25,000 per hectare due to decisions of the BJP-led government and the MSP had been increased only by "two per cent to 8 per cent".
He said that diesel prices had risen substantially and GST had been imposed on the increased prices of manure, insecticides and agriculture equipment.
He alleged that there is a conspiracy to end the minimum support price.
"The so-called farmer-friendly schemes of the Modi government so far have basically been limited to benefiting only a handful of capitalists. Whether it is the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana or the recent three black laws," he said.
Surjewala said the government informed the Parliament that 2020-21, crops had been purchased on MSP from 2,10,07,563 farmers but according to the agricultural census there are 14,65,00,000 farmers in the country.
"Data shows how less the government procures on MSP compared to the produce," he said.
Surjewala said the Congress-led UPA government had increased the support price by up to 205 per cent between 2006-07 and 2013-14 and alleged that the Modi government had increased 48 per cent in paddy and only 43 per cent in wheat.
"The farmer wants the price of hard work and if the Modi government does not stop the conspiracy with Annadata, then the coming generations will not forgive the BJP," he said.
The Union Cabinet yesterday announced the minimum support price for some crops for the Rabi Marketing Season (RMS) 2022-23. (ANI)