Members of all parties support farmers cause

New Delhi, Mar 2 (UNI) Cutting across party lines, members in the Rajya Sabha today supported a Private Members' Bill seeking remunerative minimum support price for farmers, and demanded restriction should be withdrawn on movement of agri-produce for inter-state trading.

Initiating discussion on Agricultural Produce (Remunerative Price) Bill, 2006 introduced by Mr K V Narayanasamy of Congress during Private Members' Business, Dr E M S Natchiappan of Congress said the Finance Minister in the Budget 2007-08 said farmers can get a benefit to the tune of Rs 2,60,000 crore from the banks for the agricultural uses.

He said the government should also issue guidelines so the loans are distributed properly at the state levels, which farmers hardly get. Zila Parishads and Panchayati Raj have been endowed with power in this regard, even then the benefits do not reach the right persons due to faulty systems.

Farmers were not even being looked after properly by local authorities in their requiremens relating to irrigation and fertilizers.

Now, the corporates, like Reliance, have come into the picture and are opening retail outlets. They supply seeds, fertilizers and other inputs to farmers and buy their produce at their own rates and conditions from their farms.

He demanded that a national and state level body should be formed to look after the interests of the farmers. They should be protected against selling their produce below MSP in distress sales and crops be provided insurance covers in the wake of weather vagaries.

A proper and comprehensive agriultural policy should be in place.

Mr S S Ahluwalia of the BJP also demanded that farmers should be given protection in all respects, be it MSP, insurance cover and proper marketing place for selling his produce.

Unfortunately, the farmers' condition is getting from bad to worse due to many reasons, he said and suggested for an Agricultural Marketing Board and a proper infrastructure in place.

Sometimes, they have to mortgage their crops to meet the expenses before they are ready for the marketing.

Mr Ahluwalia urged for soft loans, crop insurance, chilling train compartments for perishables and refrigerated bogies for fruits and vegetables' movement to other places from where farmers could get better prices.

Mr B B Tiwari of Samajwadi Party said farming is an unorganised sector and despite all efforts agriculture is not prospering and industries are enjoying all the benefits accrued from the government.

Farmers do not even get proper price for their produce and sometimes have to sell below their cost price and remain indebted which drives them to suicides.

Government should come out with concrete policy and its proper implementation so that farmers exploitation could be checked.

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