look news india
Chandigarh: The Lok Sabha Committee on Agriculture has recommended giving a legal guarantee to the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of crops and increasing the amount of assistance given under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Nidhi Yojana from Rs 6,000 to Rs 12,000. This recommendation has come at a time when farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal is on a fast unto death in Khanauri demanding legal guarantee of MSP and other demands. This fast has once again given impetus to the farmers’ movement.
committee recommendations
The Lok Sabha’s Committee on Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Food Processing, headed by Jalandhar MP Charanjit Singh Channi, presented its report in Parliament. Many important suggestions have been given in the report to solve the problems of farmers.
- Legal Guarantee of MSP:
The committee has said that getting legal recognition of MSP will not only increase investment, but farmers will also be able to get fixed price for their crops. - Stubble Management:
It has been recommended to give compensation to farmers to stop stubble burning. Farmers have demanded compensation of Rs 100 per quintal for stubble management. - Kisan Nidhi Assistance:
The committee has proposed to increase the annual assistance amount under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Nidhi Yojana from Rs 6,000 to Rs 12,000.
Emphasis on loan waiver and financial assistance
The report expresses concern that income in rural areas is declining, due to which the debt of farmers is increasing.
- The percentage of indebtedness among rural households has increased from 47.4% to 52% between 2016-17 and 2021-22.
- It has been recommended to start a special scheme to waive off the loans of farmers and agricultural labourers.
- The committee has said that the increasing debt burden is forcing farmers to take steps like suicide.
Special attention to environment and budget
The committee also stressed on environmental issues related to stubble burning and compensation for paddy waste management. Along with this, a recommendation has also been made to increase the budget for the agriculture sector.
What will happen next?
Keeping in mind the long standing demands of the farmers, this report has been submitted to the government. Now it remains to be seen whether the central government implements these recommendations or not. The committee’s report has once again highlighted the demand for taking concrete steps to solve the problems of farmers.