Ashok Gehlot said the MSP increase announced by the Center was completely insignificant. (File)
Jaipur:
Rajasthan’s Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot today asked the Center to raise the minimum support price (MSP) purchase limit for crops from 25% to 50%.
In a series of tweets, Gehlot said that the central government’s announced increase in MSP was insignificant following the difficulties faced by farmers.
“The increase in MSP announced by the government is completely insignificant given the difficulties encountered by our farmers, who were hit hard not only by the crown, but by the downturn in the economy, the attacks of locusts, the cyclone, etc. Farmers were desperately waiting for concrete help, hopes were dashed, “he said.
By Monday, the Center had increased the paddy MSP slightly from 53 rupees per quintal to 1,868 rupees per quintal for the 2020-2021 crop year, while rates for oilseeds, pulses and grains had increased significantly.
Among cash crops, the cotton MSP was increased from 260 rupees per quintal to 5,515 rupees for the medium base variety, and from 275 rupees per quintal to 5,825 rupees for the long fiber cotton variety for the current season ( July June).
If the government really wants to help the “annadata“(farmers), said Gehlot, this should bring the MSP purchase limit of 25% of agricultural products to at least 50% under the price stabilization program and set the MSP as recommended in the Swaminathan report .
The chief minister has said that the increased MSP is a paltry amount, which does not even cover the costs of farmers’ inputs.
“The increase is only 2.07% for moong and 7.5% for bajra, so the Indian government’s big promise to double farmers’ incomes by 2022 looks like another jumla, “he said.
The state government will distribute two months’ ration to the migrants, including 10 kg of wheat (5 kg per person per month) and 2 kg of chickpeas per family.
The state government has allocated 44,600 tonnes of wheat and 2,230 tonnes of gram for the months of May and June to migrants, who are not covered by the National Food Security Scheme (NFSA).
Food and Civil Supplies Minister Ramesh Chand Meena said that wheat allocated by the Center will only be distributed to migrants who are not covered by the NFSA.
The wheat will be distributed to migrants at fair-price shops, he added.
