SAD wants MSP to be linked with price index

Badal, who is also Deputy Chief Minister, said here that world over the agriculture sector was highly subsidised by the Governments and in India, the Union Government was bent upon squeezing even the "last drop of blood of the peasantry" with alleged anti-farmer steps.

He said the prices of fertiliser were already decontrolled on the basis of nutrient based formula and as a result of which prices of DAP had gone double within six months.

"Now the Centre wants to decontrol diesel price that will have adverse impact on the economy," he said.

Badal alleged that the Centre deliberately deferred the decision of decontrolling diesel prices till the Presidential poll to safeguard the votes of its allies, including TMC and new partners SP, BSP, JD (U).

Badal said on one hand the Union Government was taking decisions that were raising price of agriculture inputs by 100 per cent but was raising MSP by only 15 per cent that would further push farmers deeper into the debt trap.

Shiromani Akali Dal had been pleading the Union Government to implement the report of Swaminathan Commission to link MSP with the Price Index, he said.