Badal for economic policies that help farmers

Chandigarh, May 29 (UNI) The Punjab Government today called for substantial re-orientation of national economic policies in favour of the beleaguered agriculture sector, especially for small and marginal farmers to save the country from "an imminent economic disaster of unimaginable magnitude".

Addressing the 53 rd Meeting of the National Development Council (NCD) at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi today, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said that farmers had been forced to live in almost sub-human plight, with 70 per cent of them unable to have any access even to basic amenities like healthcare, education and clean drinking water.

"The shocking state of the farmers in Punjab is reflected in just 4 per cent students with farming and rural background getting admission into any university including the Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana", he said.

"Relief packages have gone to the farthest corners of the country like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Vidharba, but Punjab looks so remote from Delhi" he said while assuring that if the Punjabi farmers get their due thee would again turn the country food surplus. The Chief Minster in particular sought a special package to fight farmer indebtedness in Punjab.

He also demanded that the criteria for fixing Minimum Support Price (MSP) for agriculture produce be drastically recast linking it with the overall price index or ensuring 50 per cent profits above the farmers investments. In addition he also pleaded for the introduction of a comprehensive agriculture insurance scheme to the advantage of the farming community.

"However, till a proper agriculture insurance is set up, farmers should be paid full compensation for the damaged crops", he remarked.

Making a forceful plea to continue with the MSP to ensure adequate production of foodgrains and remunerative returns to the farmers, Mr Badal said that it was distressing that during the first five years of this century the MSP remained virtually frozen, while the cost of inputs increased substantially resulting in lower income for the farmers which not only led to their indebtedness, but also led to suicides in the agriculturally developed States.

"We strongly recommend that the MSP mechanism should be linked to price index as well as the formula given the National Commission for Farmers that is cost of cultivation plus 50 per cent", he observed.

In a significant demand, the chief minister urged the Centre to slash the interest on the crop loan from 7 per cent to 5 per cent.

He was of the view that the credit should be made available to the farmers at a minimal rate of interest.

MORE UNI