MSP announced for wheat too low, says BKU

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 22

Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) president Ajmer Singh Lakhowal today lashed out at the Union Government for a meagre hike in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for the wheat crop.

He said the increase was too low and not in coherence with the rising input costs for cultivating the crops and strongly appealed to the NDA government in the Centre to link the MSP with the price index.

Meanwhile, addressing a gathering of farmers at Rajasansi, Lakhowal praised Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for the “tough stand” he had taken on saving the waters of the state.

The Bharatiya Kisan Union appreciated the steps taken by the state government which had announced that not a drop of water would be allowed to be given out of Punjab,’ said Lakhowal.

He said farmers in the state would be adversely affected if the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal decision was allowed and farmers were ready to make any sacrifice to stop the state waters from going to Haryana or any other state.

He also demanded royalty for the Punjab waters that had already been distributed among neighbouring states.

The farmer leader also appealed to the Centre to implement the Swaminathan Commission’s report to save the farmers from the ongoing decline in agriculture.

He said farmers’ rising debts which were pushing them to commit suicides were highly deplorable and speak volume of the state of farming in the country.

He was addressing farmers who had arrived at the local grain market from Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran districts.