Even as Rahul promises MSP for all crops, Congress note of 2010 rejecting Swaminathan Commission surfaces

NEW DELHI: On Tuesday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, reacting to the ongoing farmer protest, asserted that the party, if voted to power, would give a legal guarantee of Minimum Support Price (MSP) to every farmer as per the Swaminathan Commission.

In a post on X, Rahul said "Farmer brothers, today is a historic day! Congress has decided to give a legal guarantee of MSP to every farmer on crops as per the Swaminathan Commission. This step will change the lives of 15 crore farmer families by ensuring their prosperity. This is the first guarantee of Congress on the path of justice."

Even as the Congress leader was making these promises a note from 2010 punched a hole in the Congress' gameplan. The 2010 note of the then United Progressive Alliance (UPA) showed that the government had rejected recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission regarding MSP saying that a mechanical linkage between MSP and production costs could distort the market dynamics.

Then Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, KV Thomas had informed the Rajya Sabha that the recommendation was not accepted by the government because "MSP is recommended by the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) based on objective criteria and considering a variety of relevant factors."

"Hence, prescribing an increase of at least 50 per cent on cost may distort the market. A mechanical linkage between MSP and cost of production may be counter-productive in some cases," the response had added. Meanwhile senior leader and Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh continues to question the BJP over the non implementation of the report.

"According to the Swaminathan Commission, the MSP of wheat should be Rs 2,478 per quintal which is only Rs 2,275 per quintal. Similarly, the MSP of paddy is only Rs 2,183 per quintal instead of Rs 2,866 per quintal. Modi ji, why didn't you implement the findings of your own 2011 report? Why did you lie to the farmers by repeatedly promising MSP?

Today the farmers of India have lost faith in the Modi government. It is only the Congress Party Kisaan Nyay Guarantee that will give legal guarantee of MSP to the farmers on Swaminathan formula" Ramesh said in a post of X. The farmers have put forth 12 demands before the central government for which they're marching to Delhi. The protest this time has been called by Sanyukt Kisan Morcha and Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee led by farmer union leaders Jagjeet Singh Dallewal and Sarwan Singh Pandher.

According to the protesting farmers, the centre promised them better crop prices, after which they ended the 2021 protest. They are demanding to enact a law guaranteeing a minimum support price (MSP) for all crops, as recommended by the Swaminathan Commission report. They are also demanding a complete debt waiver and a scheme to provide pensions to farmers and farm labourers.

The farmers have also urged to scrap the Electricity Amendment Bill 2020 and are demanding to reintroduce the Land Acquisition Act of 2013, ensuring consent from farmers and compensation at 4 times the collector rate.

Further, they are demanding to punish those involved in the Lakhimpur Kheri killings. An appeal to provide 200 days of employment per year and a daily wage of Rs 700 under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MGNREGA), linking it with farming, has also been made by the farmers. Also, they have demanded compensation to the families of farmers who died during the protests in 2021 and a job for any family member has been put in place.