Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP in Rajya Sabha from Punjab Raghav Chadha has introduced a private Bill, the Minimum Support Price Guarantee Bill, to guarantee MSP to farmers for their crops. The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has been urging the Centre to bring such a legislation.
Mr. Chadha said the Centre betrayed the promise to protesting farmers for legal guarantee on MSP for agricultural produce. He said the Bill he introduced will coerce the Centre to hold a debate on the issue. “I will fight for farmers’ rights till my last breath,” he added.
He said no experts or representatives from Punjab was included in the committee on MSP, which was recently constituted by the Centre. He said there is a need to revise the A2+FL formula with the C2+ 50% as per recommendations of the M.S. Swaminathan Committee. “Comprehensive Cost (C2) is the actual cost of production as it takes into account the rent and interest foregone on the land and machinery owned by farmers, in addition to the A2+FL rate,” he said.
