Union Minister’s remarks flayed

A farmers’ body has termed the comments of Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Gajendra Singh Shekhawat that subsidies and incentives such as free power and ₹4,000 per acre per season won’t change the fate of farmers as “highly disappointing and disgusting”.

In a statement, general secretary of Progressive Dairy Farmers’ Association K. Bal Reddy said here on Tuesday that the Centre had failed to provide minimum support price for agriculture produce due to lack of scientific approach in its fixation.

The ruling party at the Centre had failed to make any headway in fixing right MSP even after four years in power. It did not spare even cows by imposing GST on animal drugs, although it shouts from rooftops on protection and rearing of more and more cows.

On the other hand, political parties in the opposition were crying foul over non-implementation of recommendations submitted by the then chairman of the national farmers’ commission M.S. Swaminathan in 2006.

Infusing confidence

In this backdrop, the Telangana government was extending measures like uninterrupted free power and investment support to agriculture to infuse confidence and create interest in agriculture practice, he felt.

He suggested that Telangana government would need to take more measures in addition to a few being implemented already, particularly bonus for major agriculture produces like paddy, maize and cotton till the Centre announces the right MSP.