Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today termed the Centre's decision to increase the MSP for kharif crops a "historic step", while state Agriculture Minister O P Dhankar said a major recommendation of the Swaminathan Commission has been implemented.
Addressing a group of farmers at his official residence here, Khattar said the BJP government at the Centre has fulfilled its promise of hiking the minimum support price to 1.5 times the production cost of farmers.
Dhankar had accompanied the farmers to the chief minister's residence.
While dancing to the beats of drums at his residence, Dhankar hailed the MSP hike as historic.
The chief minister said, "The decision taken by the Union Cabinet will help boost farmers' income, mitigate rural distress and administer the farm sector a booster dose. It is for the first time since Independence that such massive hike in MSP has been effected by any government."
Khattar said while several recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission's report had already been implemented, its key recommendation to give farmers 50 per cent more rate than their cost of production too has been fulfilled now.
"Today is a golden day for farmers," Khattar said.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) at its meeting today approved the MSP of 14 Kharif (summer-sown) crops. MSP for paddy was hiked by a steep Rs 200 per quintal.
Dhankar said, "What is more satisfying is that now a formula has been adopted as per which farmers will get at least 50 per cent more rate than their cost of production."
"With this decision, the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission have been fully implemented. This decision is historic. It will come as a big boost for farmers," he told here.
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