SAD's Harsimrat Badal Urges Agriculture Minister for Legal Guarantee of MSP for Agri Crops

Former Union Minister and Shiromani Akali Dal's Bathinda MP, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, has called upon the Union Agriculture Minister, Narendra Singh Tomar, to provide a legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of crops. Badal has also urged Tomar to fulfill all the promises made to the Samyukt Kisaan Morcha (SKM) when they suspended their protest against the now-repealed farm laws.

In a letter addressed to the Union Agriculture Minister, Badal expressed her disappointment that the issues which the central government had committed to resolving when the farmers called off their blockade of Delhi after the repeal of the three contentious laws by Prime Minister Narendra Modi have been left unresolved for the past 18 months.

Badal urged Tomar to address all the issues under the commitments made to the farmers. She emphasized the need for the MSP regime to be legally binding and suggested revising the terms and objectives of the MSP Committee, formed by the government, by including members from the SKM. She insisted that the Committee's terms should align with the government's commitment to guarantee MSP.

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Highlighting other concerns raised by the SKM in a memorandum submitted to her, which she subsequently forwarded to the agriculture minister, Badal stated that farmers were facing financial distress due to insufficient returns on their produce, leading to a debt trap and an increase in farmer suicides. To address this issue, Badal proposed a universal farm loan debt waiver.

Additionally, Badal mentioned the prevailing sentiment among the farming community regarding the Lakhimpur Kheri incident, calling for justice to be served. She also demanded the immediate withdrawal of the Electricity Reforms Bill 2022, as the written assurance given to the SKM on December 9, 2021, regarding consultation with the farming community before introducing the bill in parliament, had not been fulfilled.

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Badal further emphasized the need for an all-encompassing and effective "Fasal Bima Yojana" (Crop Insurance Scheme) that would ensure adequate compensation for crop damage caused by drought, floods, thunderstorms, and diseases. She urged the agriculture minister to grant a monthly pension of Rs 10,000 to all marginal and small male and female farmers, as well as farm laborers.

Finally, Badal called for the withdrawal of all cases filed against farmers in BJP-ruled states, the timely disbursal of compensation, and the construction of a memorial honoring the 800 farmers who lost their lives during the Kisaan Andolan.

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