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Modi wants 50% profit margin for farmers in MSP of agri commodities

Quoting from the BJP manifesto Modi also declared Prime Minister Irrigation Scheme across the country if his government was formed at Centre.

BS Reporter Ahmedabad
In a bid to woo farmers, BJP's prime ministerial candidate and Gujarat chief minister on Wednesday declared that if voted to power, the minimum support price (MSP) of agri commodities would be set with 50% profit margin for farmers.

Speaking at an election rally in cotton growing belt of Surendranagar Lok Sabha seat, Modi said,"Farmers, especially in Gujarat have suffered heavily due central government policy to ban cotton export. This had led to loss of Rs 7,000 crore to Gujarat cotton farmers. Can we tolerate such policies? We need a government that is sensitive to the questions of farmers, not like government in Delhi that is anti-farmers."

 

"If BJP government is elected to power, I assure you that we will device a procedure for deciding MSPs of agriculture commodities. We will take into consideration expenditure made by farmers like for seeds, irrigation water, electricity, farm equipment, medicines, fertilisers and other input cost. Then over the input cost we will add 50% profit of farmers. So, if Rs 100 is the input cost, MSP will be Rs 150," Modi told the gathering. This will not lead to situation where a farmer is forced to commit suicide, he added.

Quoting from the BJP manifesto Modi also declared Prime Minister Irrigation Scheme across the country if his government was formed at Centre.

Taking a jibe at the Congress-led UPA government Modi said that if Central government was not anti-Gujarat there would have been gates installed on the Narmada dam and entire Gujarat would have been reaping the benefits of water and electricity.

Describing Congress as party of cheaters, Modi said, "They are travelling across the nation but are they answering any question? Their 10 year rule had brought severe depression among the youth who are unemployed. The government run by mother-son duo had promised employment to 100 million youths but it has failed miserably. Their figures show that they have provided employment to only 12.5 million youth."

He also made an appeal for victory for Surendranagar BJP candidate Devjibhai Fatehpura. Modi also demanded that voting in Gujarat should be more than that in other parts of the country.

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First Published: Apr 23 2014 | 1:46 PM IST

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