CPI (M) demands legislation allowing farmers’ right to sell at MSP

Yechury said that he wants to draw his attention to the plight of farmers across India, which has resulted in a high level of rural distress.
CPM General Secretary Sitaram Yechury. | (File | EPS)
CPM General Secretary Sitaram Yechury. | (File | EPS)

NEW DELHI: CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to pass a legislation in the forthcoming monsoon session of parliament which provide farmers the Right to Sell at MSP (minimum support price), but also guarantees an automatic annual review of the MSP which will be, atleast 50 per cent more than the comprehensive production costs.

In a letter to Modi, Yechury said that he wants to draw his attention to the plight of farmers across India, which has resulted in a high level of rural distress, including thousands of suicides by farmers in the past three years.

“There have been increasing protests by farmers in one state after another, which have been met by your silence and apathy while the state governments of your party have let the police lose on the poor farmers,” he said.

Raising the issue of farmers killed in Mandsaur police firing in Madhya Pradesh, the left leaders said that there is no end to problem faced by farmer community in the state and many continue to commit distress suicides, the latest such tragedy occurring in the CM’s (Shivraj Singh Chouhan)own constituency.

He also raised the issue of problems faced by farmers in Maharashtra and state government failing to act.

“It is my duty to remind you, that during your election campaign, you has promised a Minimum Support Price that will provide a 50 per cent net profit to the farmer over his production costs. During the last three years, you have done nothing to fulfil this promise. The current MSP for various crops fixed by your government barely provides any returns to the farmer,” he further said.

The Rajya Sabha member said that the two government agencies, FCI and NAFED do not buy all the produce of the farmers, even at the existing MSP, forcing the farmers to distress sell their produce at a loss in the market.   

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