“Legal status to MSP, Swaminathan formula, farm loan waiver”: Jairam Ramesh on welfare for farmers in Budget

New Delhi [India], July 22 (ANI): Ahead of the Budget session, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh stated that giving legal status to Minimum Support Price (MSP), deciding MSP on the basis of the Swaminathan formula and loan waiver for farmers are needed to ensure welfare of farmers in the Budget.

“Three important announcements are needed for farmer welfare in the budget – 1. Legal status to MSP 2. MSP is decided on the basis of Swaminathan formula 3. Loan waiver for farmers,” Ramesh said in a post on ‘X’.

In a statement issued by Jairam Ramesh, he said that the MSP for 22 crops covered under MSP, should be increased in line with the formula of C2+50 per cent as per the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission.

Ramesh said that by giving legal status to MSP, a system will be put in place to implement it robustly, including strategic procurement and better regulation.

The senior Congress leader also advocated for the establishment of a permanent commission to assess the need for farm loan waiver, assess the quantum, and monitor the implementation of farm loan waiver.

In an attack at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party government, Ramesh said that while the UPA had increased the MSP of wheat by 119 per cent and MSP of paddy by 134 per cent, the Narendra Modi government has increased it by 47 per cent and 50 per cent respectively.

“This is not at all sufficient to keep up with inflation and rising prices of agricultural inputs,” the Congress leader said.

Speaking on farmers’ debt, Ramesh said that according to NSSO, outstanding loans have increased by 58 per cent since 2013, more than half of the farmers are in debt and since 2014, more than one lakh farmers have died by suicide.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala shared a media report on ‘X’ and stated that the Narendra Modi government is preparing to bring back “anti-agruculture black laws”.

“Preparations underway to bring back anti-agriculture “black laws”! It seems that Modi government has not learnt anything from the farmers’ struggle and the Lok Sabha defeat! But remember- “The more the oppression increases, the stronger the intentions will become.”,” Surjewala said in a post on ‘X’.