 "MSP legal guarantee issue rocks Rajya Sabha; Cong-led Oppn stages protest")
Opposition parties led by the Congress on Friday created a ruckus and obstructed proceedings in the Rajya Sabha, as they were not satisfied with Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's reply on providing a legal guarantee on minimum support price (MSP) to farmers.
The trouble began during Question Hour when Chouhan listed steps taken by the government for the welfare of farmers and spoke about the committee looking into strengthening the MSP system but stopped short of talking about a legal guarantee for crop support prices.
Following the minister's remark, Congress MPs, including Randeep Surjewala and Jairam Ramesh, protested, saying that Chouhan's reply was incomplete.
Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar tried to diffuse the situation, saying the minister had given a detailed reply and if the members were not satisfied, they should use available avenues to seek answers.
Dhankhar repeatedly asked the members to allow the proceedings to continue and also threatened to name members for disrupting the House.
As per the rule, an MP named by the Chair has to withdraw from the House for the remainder of the day.
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Opposition members, however, refused to relent and continued to shout slogans, disrupting proceedings for a few more minutes.
Earlier, in his replying during supplementaries, Chouhan said the government has set up a panel on MSP and would consider the recommendations once the report is submitted.
"I would like to state that serving farmers for us is like worshipping God," he said, and asserted that "pradhan mantri Modi ji se bada koi Kisan hitashi nahi hai (There is no bigger well-wisher of farmers than Prime Minister Modi)".
Chouhan said the panel has been formed to give suggestions on making the MSP system more effective and transparent.
Additionally, he said, the committee has been asked to examine the feasibility of giving greater autonomy to the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) and ways to make it more scientific.
To ensure higher prices of crops for farmers, a mandate has also been given to the committee to suggest steps for strengthening the agricultural marketing system in line with the changing needs of the country. This committee is also working on issues like natural farming and crop diversification, the minister said.
The meetings of this committee are being organised regularly. Since July 22, 2022, the committee has met 6 times. Additionally, 35 meetings of various sub-committees have also been held.
"Whenever the panel submits its report, the government will examine it," Chouhan said.
On the question of whether the government wants to give a legal guarantee of MSP to farmers or not, the minister said it is continuously working towards farmers' welfare.
The MSP rates have been increased regularly to give proper prices to farmers, he added.
The agriculture minister informed that the government has a six-pronged strategy to give appropriate MSP to farmers.
It includes increasing farm production, reducing the cost of production, giving appropriate prices of the produce, compensating for loss due to natural calamities, diversification of agriculture, and organic farming.
"We are being called anti-farmer. I would like to state that we are working on solutions.
"This government is committed to farmers. We are continuously taking decisions for the benefit of farmers...The government is serious, and we will take appropriate steps once the committee's report comes," Chouhan said.
Amid sloganeering by Opposition party members, he said, "We have given twice the MSP rates as compared to when (Randeep) Surjewala's government was in power", in an apparent reference to the Congress-led government.
The minister said the Modi government gives MSP after adding 50 per cent profit to the cost of production.