Haryana to procure gram at higher MSP

Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today said that the state government will procure 'chana' (gram) at an increased Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs 3,100 per quintal from earlier Rs 3,000 per quintal for the upcoming procurement season.
Hooda made this announcement when an issue concerning implementation of recommendations of Swaminathan Commission report, which has favoured renumerative crop returns, was raised by opposition INLD MLA Ashok Arora, during concluding day of the budget session of the State Assembly here.
The Chief Minister apprised the House that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had constituted a Working Group of Chief Ministers under his chairmanship to increase agriculture production and to ensure sustainable income of farmers.

He said that Chief Ministers of Punjab, West Bengal and Bihar were the other members of the Group.
Hooda said that the recommendations of this Working Group were "better" than the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission.
It would not be wrong to say that Working Group's suggestions are the amended version of the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission, he told the Assembly.

Hooda said that the Working Group's recommendation to slash down the interest rate on short term crop loan from 11 per cent to four per cent had already been accepted by the Central government.
This recommendation was also being implemented by all nationalised banks in the country.

He said for steady income of the farmers, the Group had also recommended ensuring 50 per cent profit over cost of production to them "which would certainly be accepted by Union government".
This had also been suggested by Swaminathan Commission, he added.
Hooda said working group of Chief Ministers was formed after the recommendations of Swaminathan Commission.
Meanwhile, the Haryana assembly also unanimously passed a resolution concerning sending the Working Group recommendations to Union Government for its implementation.