UPA govt refused to provide 50% profit on cost to farmers: Agri minister

Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday said the previous UPA government had refused to provide 50 per cent profit on cost to farmers in the minimum support price for crops, as based on the formula suggested by the M S Swaminathan Commission.

During the Question Hour in the Lok Sabha, Congress MP Deepender Hooda asked a supplementary question related to the farmers' protests of 2020-21 and said around 750 farmers lost their lives during the agitation.

He asked if the government is considering providing jobs to the next of kin of those who lost their lives during the year-long protests at Delhi's borders against three contentious farm laws of the Centre that have since been repealed.

Chouhan said the question was not related to the main question, which was on issues faced by farmers.

"The government is totally committed to farmers' welfare," he said.

The agriculture minister alleged that the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government had refused to implement the recommendations of the Swaminathan commission that had suggested 50 per cent profit to farmers on their cost.

"The Swaminathan commission report came in 2006 and it said 50 per cent profit on cost should be added for calculating the MSP for crops. Their government had denied it. I have documents.... Their minister, Kantilal Bhuria, had said 50 per cent profit cannot be given. Sharad Pawar was the agriculture minister, he had also said it cannot be given," Chouhan said.

He placed a cabinet note of the UPA government, led by Manmohan Singh, on the table and said the Centre then had refused to accept the suggestions of the Swaminathan commission, saying a mechanical linkage between the MSP and the cost of production would distort the market.

The minister added that the MSP for several crops has been increased by the current government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"The Modi government has added 50 per cent profit in the MSP," he claimed.