BJP ally attacks Centre for marginal rise in MSP

Bats for MSP to be linked with increasing cost of farming

The Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (SSS), a key ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Maharashtra, attacked the Centre on Friday against the marginal rise in minimum support price (MSP) for paddy, jowar, cotton and pulses. The SSS also criticised the government for not increasing MSP of soybean and groundnut, especially when the drought threat looms large.

SSS president and member of Parliament from Hatkalangade in western Maharashtra, Raju Shetti, said the rise in MSP announced by Minister for Law and Telecom Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday was not acceptable and he would soon send a communication to the Centre with an appeal for its increase.

Shetti said the MSP rise was only two per cent while the cost of farming had shot up substantially. He demanded the MSP should be linked up with rapidly increasing the cost of farming.

Shetti, who defeated Congress veteran Kalappa Awade, was addressing party members near here at the two-day workshop to decide SSS’ strategy for the ensuing state Assembly election.

Shetti, whose SSS is  engaged in taking up issues largely involving farmers in the state, warned the Centre not to take farmers for a ride. “SSS has praised the Centre’s decisions which will benefit farmers largely. However, it is SSS’s sincere appeal that the government should not play with the emotions of the farming community especially when it is passing through a tough time,” Shetti said.

Shetti welcomed the government’s decision to increase import duty for sugar to 40 per cent from 15 per cent. However, he observed sugar import had taken place in the past five years when the country had surplus sugar. “Sugar import has benefitted the private refineries situated at the ports. SSS will call upon the Modi government to probe the sugar import and take necessary action,” he said.

The SSS, which was roped in by late BJP leader Gopinath Munde in the MahaYuti grand alliance which also comprises Shiv Sena, BJP, Republican Party of India & Rashtriya Samaj Party, is currently supporting the Modi government at the Centre. The party had contested two seats in Maharashtra.