Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday rejected the increase in the minimum support price (MSP) of wheat by Rs.5 per quintal by the central government. Badal termed this increase as 'inadequate', saying that it has come as a 'great disappointment' to the farmers already struggling for the fair price of their produce.
The SAD chief said that the latest support price announced by the Center for other crops is 'meaningless' in the absence of firm assurance of purchase of these crops. He said that the increase in MSP will not compensate for the increased cost of other costs including diesel.
Meanwhile, a few days after resigning from the Union Cabinet, party leader Harsimrat Kaur said on Monday that farmers in Punjab were forced to sell their cotton for less than the minimum support price as the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) did not buy.
On the other hand, a delegation led by Badal met President Ramnath Kovid and appealed to him not to 'approve the bills forcibly passed from Parliament.' After handing over the memorandum to the President, Badal said, "We appealed to him to stand with the hard-pressed farmers, agriculture and mandi workers." We requested them to send these Bills to the Parliament for reconsideration…. ''
According to the news received from Bathida, SAD demonstrated against the CCI and the Congress government in Punjab, claiming that the farmers were obliged to sell cotton at prices far below the MSP.