Lok Satta chief writes to PM over Govt's farm policies

In a letter to Singh, he said trade in agricultural commodities should be fully and irrevocably liberalised so that farmers get the best prices that markets can offer.

Narayan wrote the letter in the context of PM convening a meeting of Agriculture and Food Ministers on April 30 to sort out differences over export of farm produces.

He pointed out that although rest of the economy has largely been liberated from the clutches of license-permit -control-quota raj, "thanks largely due to your stewardship of the economy during 1991-96," agriculture is still subject to arbitrary and unjustified controls.

The farm sector has been going through a severe crisis with input and labour costs going up significantly and prices of agricultural commodities falling, the bureaucrat-turned- politician said.

Narayan maintained that although foodgrain production has been registering growth and per capita consumption falling on account of shift to fruits, vegetables, eggs, milk and meat, the Centre only pursued ad hoc policies on exports.

Narayan, who is also an MLA, suggested that trade in farm commodities be fully liberalised.

Simultaneously, the Minimum Support Price (MSP) mechanism should be continued to act as a safety net to farmers until economic freedom yields satisfactory results, said the former member of Administrative Reforms Commission. PTI SJR RSY