Our Correspondent
Hoshiarpur, June 25
No stakeholder in expert group: Bajwa
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Rajya Sabha MP Partap Singh Bajwa on Thursday said the Finance Commission, while constituting a high-level group of agricultural experts, had ignored key stakeholders. “The group has no representative from the agricultural sector or cooperatives,” he said.
On the one hand, the entire country was suffering due to Covid, and on the other, the Central government had brought a “black ordinance” which aimed at eliminating the minimum support price (MSP) system. The BJP government was reluctant to face Parliament because many questions would be asked, to which it would have no answers. This was stated by Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee chief Sunil Jakhar here today.
He reached the grain market in Hoshiarpur to talk to farmers regarding the ordinance. Jakhar said the MSP had no meaning without government procurement. “What will be the benefit of the MSP if the crop is not procured by the government?” he asked.
Questioning the intentions of the Shiromani Akali Dal and its president Sukhbir Singh Badal, Jakhar asked why he was silent on the “black ordinace” of the Centre.
He said paddy MSP had been increased by 2.8 per cent this year but at the same time, diesel prices had also increased by more than 12 per cent in the past 15 days.
A delegation of the Arhtiya Association led by Sudhir Sood, Tarsem Modgil and Jagdish Kumar met Jakhar and told him that a cut of Rs 2.12 per quintal in the purchase of wheat had been made without any reason and thus, the money deducted should be returned.
