Gujarat government today declared a bonus of Rs 110 per tonne on cotton in addition to the minimum support price of Rs 810 announced by the Centre, which the Congress termed as "marginal" and demanded a minimum MSP of Rs 1,500.
The opposition party also termed the move as politically-coloured given the setback suffered by the ruling BJP in recently held polls to local bodies.
"Chief Minister Anandiben Patel has declared Rs 110 per tonne bonus to cotton growing farmers of the state over and above the MSP of Rs 810 declared by Centre," said Nitin Patel, Health Minister and government spokesperson.
He said those cotton-growers who have sold their produce to the CCI (Cotton Corporation of India) will be benefited by the bonus.
CCI is Central government's nodal agency to purchase cotton from farmers at MSP.
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Kisan Sangh welcomed the decision but termed it as "late".
"We welcome this decision but had it been taken earlier than those farmers who have already sold their produce in the market would also have got the benefit," said BKS leader Magan Patel.
State unit Congress president Bharatsinh Solanki said the farmers are entitled to get minimum MSP of Rs 1500.
"Such marginal increase in MSP will not give any relief to farmers. During the UPA rule, farmers were given MSP in the range of Rs 1100 to 1500. Even at that point, Narendra Modi used to say in his election campaigns that farmers must be given more than Rs 1500 (towards MSP)," Solanki told reporters.
Taking a dig at the Prime Minister, the Congress leader said that he seems to have "forgotten" his electoral promise.
"He (Modi) made such promises to get votes of farmers. Forget about our demand, we will be happy if he fulfils his own promise" said Solanki, accompanied by party's national spokesperson Shaktisinh Gohil.
Gohil claimed that cotton was already being sold at Rs 950 per 20 Kg at various APMCs (agriculture produce marketing committees) across Gujarat.
"If you add Rs 110 into the current MSP of Rs 810, it comes to Rs 920 which is lesser than what farmers are already getting. Thus, farmers are not going to benefit from this new announcement. In addition, most farmers have already sold their cotton in open market" said Gohil.
He said the BJP wanted to "punish" the farmers who had voted for Congress in the local body polls with this "meagre" hike in MSP.
BJP got decimated in rural parts of the state in the polls, ceding district panchayats and taluka panchayats to Congress.
