Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today dismissed as inadequate the bonus of Rs 50 per quintal on wheat over and above the Minimum Support Price of Rs 1,120 per quintal for the current Rabi marketing season announced by the Centre recently.
In a statement here, Badal charged the "non-remunerative MSP" coupled with "anti-farmer" policies of Centre was primarily responsible for the slow down in agricultural growth.
The Centre announced the bonus yesterday over and above the support price of Rs 1,120 per quintal in order to boost procurement. The Chief Minister said his government had been demanding MSP of at least Rs 1,400 per quintal for wheat from the Centre.
He demanded the Centre fix MSP by providing a margin of 50 per cent over the cost of production to the farmers as suggested by an agricultural economist Dr. M S Swaminathan.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said the ruling shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) party would continue to fight for a bonus of Rs 300 per quintal over and above enhanced MSP.