Congress Criticizes Delhi Government's MSP Policy for Farmers

Farmers Face Challenges with MSP Implementation in Delhi

Delhi News (Media House), New Delhi. Farmers across the nation have long been advocating for the implementation of Minimum Support Price (MSP) for their crops. In Punjab, protests are ongoing against government actions perceived as detrimental to farmers. Amidst this backdrop, the Delhi government has announced its decision to purchase crops at MSP, which has drawn criticism from the Congress party.

Delhi Government's Dual Approach Towards Farmers

Devendra Yadav, the president of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee, stated that the dual policy of the BJP-led central government is preventing farmers from receiving the MSP for their crops. He highlighted that while the government plans to register for mustard crop MSP starting April 1, the harvest has already begun arriving in markets since February 15.

Yadav pointed out that due to the delay in the government's MSP procurement for mustard, farmers are incurring a loss of ₹950 per quintal. The established MSP for mustard is ₹5,950, while the market price is only ₹5,000 per quintal. This translates to a loss of ₹4,750 per bigha, as one bigha yields approximately five quintals of mustard. Consequently, farmers cultivating mustard on ten bighas are facing losses up to ₹47,500.

BJP's Favoritism Towards Corporates

Yadav further criticized the BJP for deliberately delaying the registration process for MSP purchases to benefit capitalists and traders. He noted that farmers have been requesting the government for three years to implement the MSP for mustard from February 15, yet the BJP continues to prioritize corporate interests. Although Prime Minister Modi rescinded the controversial agricultural laws following widespread protests, no concrete decisions have been made regarding farmers' demands.