There was a huge uproar in the Rajya Sabha during the question hour on the issue of farmers. During the question hour, Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Ramji Lal Suman asked about the details of the meetings of the committee formed on the problems of farmers on 12 July 2000. In response to this, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan said that the farmer is like God for us and the service of the farmer is like worship for us. He said that this committee was formed with three objectives – to provide MSP and make the system transparent along with giving suggestions for more autonomy to agricultural prices and agricultural distribution system.
The Agriculture Minister said that 22 meetings of the committee have been held. The recommendations given by the committee will be considered. On this Ramji Lal Suman said that this is an atmosphere of uncertainty. When will this go away? These people who are calling farmers God, have nothing to do with farmers. Give a straight answer whether you want to give legal status to MSP or not. Don’t be saved. After this, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said that Ram is asking questions to Shiva. In response, Shivraj said that MSP rates have been continuously increased to give fair price to the farmers. They are making false allegations. The government has a six-point strategy.
Shivraj listed out measures ranging from increasing production to reducing costs and said that we are being called anti-farmers. There is no one more farmer friendly than Narendra Modiji. We will take action only when the report of the committee comes to give fair price. But till then we are not sitting silent. He counted the figures of increase in MSP prices of crops and said that look at the prices of these 23 crops. During this, the opposition members started creating ruckus. Shivraj said that Narendra Modi’s government has given double the MSP than when Surjewalaji’s government was in power. We are continuously taking decisions in the interest of the farmers.
He also mentioned about increasing the purchase of wheat and paddy along with Samman Nidhi for farmers. Shivraj said that the government is giving subsidy of Rs 1 lakh 68 thousand crore on fertilizer. More steps are necessary and the government is serious about them. After this, Randeep Surjewala and other opposition MPs started creating ruckus regarding the legal guarantee of MSP. Amidst the uproar, the Chairman asked the members of both the parties to sit and warned them of naming them. Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan said that the government will buy whatever quantity of tur, lentils and urad the farmers produce.
The Agriculture Minister counted the figures of procurement done on MSP during the tenure of UPA and NDA governments and said that these are shedding crocodile tears. On the opposition’s uproar regarding the demand for supplementary, the Chairman said that the supplementary will be taken at gunpoint, it will not happen like this. He said why are you insisting like a child Randeep, no. Shivraj also placed the cabinet note of the UPA government on the table in which it was stated about the refusal to fix MSP by increasing 50 per cent on the cost. He also mentioned the refusal to implement the recommendations of the Swaminathan Committee. During this, the opposition members created a huge ruckus.
Attacking the opposition, he said that they only want to do politics in the name of farmers and want to throw the country into anarchy. I say this with full responsibility, we will leave no stone unturned in working for the betterment of the farmers.