BHUBANESWAR: An assembly standing committee on Monday recommended that the state government should frame laws with provisions of seven years in jail for anyone buying paddy below the minimum support price (MSP). The suggestion comes amid fear among farmers and opposition parties that the new central farm laws may lead to paddy purchase below the fixed rates.
“There is fear that the central farm laws may lead to gradual abolition of MSP. The committee recommended that law should be made to punish anyone buying paddy below MSP with seven years in jail and fine to safeguard farmers’ interest and ensure they are not exploited by the middlemen and traders,” said senior Congress MLA and former law minister Narasingha Mishra, who heads the 11-member committee on food supplies and consumer welfare. Other members of the panel include eight BJD MLAs and two BJP MLAs.
Assembly panel seeks CCTVs at market yards.
The standing committee also suggested that the state should pay Rs 1082 per quintal extra from its resources to farmers while buying paddy. Explaining the logic, Narasingha said the state assembly in March 2017 had passed a resolution seeking to hike paddy MSP to Rs 2,950 per quintal. “The Centre this year has fixed the MSP at Rs 1,868 per quintal. Since the state is convinced that it should be Rs 2,950 per quintal, it should pay for the difference from its exchequer. This can be done. Neighbouring Chhattisgarh has been paying Rs 2,500 per quintal,” Narasingha said.
The panel recommended installation of CCTVs in market yards to keep tabs on possible exploitation of farmers and arbitrary decision on fair average quality (FAQ) norms of paddy, used to deduct prices. Paddy procurement has begun in Odisha. The state has set a procurement target of 71 lakh metric tonne this year.
The BJD and the BJP gave mixed reaction to the assembly panel’s suggestion.
“The state government examines the assembly committees’ suggestions with all sincerity. I am sure the government will examine this suggestion as well. The Naveen Patnaik-led government is pro-farmer and has always pressed for higher MSP of paddy,” BJD MLA Amar Prasad Satpathy said.
State BJP president Samir Mohanty said, “The central farm Acts are meant to protect farmers’ interest.”