SAD thanks PM Modi for hiking MSP

Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal today thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making "unprecedented" hike in the MSP of kharif crops, saying it will lead to a gain of Rs 4,500 crore for Punjab.

The former deputy chief minister also lashed out at Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh for not "bothering" to thank the prime minister for the "historic" jump in the minimum support price (MSP) for paddy and other kharif crops.

He was addressing farmers at a thanksgiving rally organised jointly by the SAD and the BJP to mark the "unprecedented" MSP hike.

The rally was presided over by Prime Minister Modi.

When former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal was addressing the gathering, a group of five to six persons waved black flags.

"A group of five to six persons led by NSUI leader Akshay Sharma showed black flags to Badal. They were nabbed by Akali workers who then handed them over to the police," a SAD leader said.

Sukhbir Badal thanked Modi for coming to the aid of farmers who had been "cheated and betrayed" by the Congress party for 55 years.

"The Congress ruled for 55 years in the country but someone who understood the plight of farmers is PM Modi," he said, adding that the farmers "never" got remunerative prices during the Congress regime.

"Crop rates were sometimes raised by Rs 20, 30 or 40 per quintal during the Congress regime," he said.

"None did anything for the farmers and it is only Modi ji who promised 50 per cent profit on input costs and delivered on it as per the Swaminathan Commission report," he said.

Sukhbir Badal further said it was also for the first time that a formula had been set to calculate MSP of crops which would result in commensurate hikes in forthcoming years also.

The SAD president said, in case of paddy, an increase of Rs 200 per quintal would lead to Rs 6,000 per acre profit to farmers.

Similarly, cotton farmers would earn an additional Rs 10,000 per acre due to Rs 1,100 per quintal increase in the MSP, he said, adding that even 'arhatiyas' or agricultural produce commission agents would earn an additional Rs 100 crore and the Punjab government Rs 275 crore on account of market and rural development fee.

Sukhbir Badal said, "Punjab will gain to the tune of Rs 4,500 crore with the MSP hike."
Former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal termed the MSP felicitation function as "marking of a golden day for Punjab," saying the Congress rule had "demoralised farmers and driven them to suicide."