SKM calls Haryana's MSP offer 'election stunt,' to hold meeting on Aug 20

New Delhi, Aug 13 (PTI) The Samyukt Kisan Morcha on Tuesday said the Haryana government's announcement of minimum support price, or MSP, on 24 crops is an "election stunt" and it not acceptable to the farmers of Haryana as it is not based on the formula suggested by the MS Swaminathan committee.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the SKM condemned the recent decision of the Haryana government to give MSP on additional crops ahead of the assembly polls, and said it is not based on the C2+50 per cent formula recommended by Swaminathan committee.

The farmers' body, which led the 2020-21 protests against the now scrapped farm laws, also said that the government has not announced any legal guarantee for the procurement at MSP, which was one of the key demands of farmers.

"SKM strongly condemns the Chief Minister of Haryana Nayab Singh Saini for announcing MSP for 24 crops – but without C2+50 percent formulae and legally guaranteed procurement," it said.

"The partial declaration in a BJP Rally by the CM is a mere election stunt to woo the farmers' votes to remain in power. It is not acceptable and the farmers of Haryana who had fought the three Corporate Farm Acts will teach BJP a lesson for this betrayal," the SKM said.

They also said the Haryana state SKM will hold a meeting on August 20 to decide the further course of action.

"SKM will undertake village level campaigns to ensure farmers and the people at large will expose, oppose and punish BJP in the forthcoming assembly election," the group said.

They said the current MSP of Rs 2,300 per quintal for paddy for the year 2024-25 announced by the Narendra Modi government is based on A2+FL, which means costs incurred by the farmer and the value of the family labour.

As per the 2006 recommendation of the National Commission of Farmers chaired by Dr M S Swaminathan, C2 means comprehensive cost, which is A2+FL cost plus imputed rental value of owned land plus interest on fixed capital, rent paid for leased-in land.

As such, the MSP for paddy based on the C2+50 per cent formula amounts to Rs 3,012 per quintal as per the year 2024-25.

"Compared to this sum, A2+FL+ 50 per cent price is less by Rs 712 per quintal," they said.

"Considering Paddy production in Haryana in the year 2024-25 akin to the year 2023-24 that was 54.1 lakh tonnes, the loss suffered by the paddy farmers of the State amounts to Rs 3851.90 crore. Similar estimation of the loss in each of the 24 crops of Haryana will expose the real anti-farmer face of the BJP and the Nayab Singh Government," the SKM said.

The Haryana Cabinet last week gave approval to the proposal of buying 10 more crops at the minimum support price in the state, taking the total of crops procured at MSP in the state to 24.

Haryana Assembly polls are due later this year.

Meanwhile, workers of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Tikait) held a protest at Ghamroj toll plaza in Gurugram and raised slogans against a builder for grabbing the land of a farmer.

Farmers gave the Deputy Commissioner a memorandum and raised slogans there too.

SDM Sonu Bhatt took the memorandum from the farmers. PTI AO AO VN VN