Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal writes to Union agriculture minister demanding reconstitution of MSP Committee
Jan 19, 2023
New Delhi [India], January 19 : Shiromani Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal has urged Union agriculture minister NS Tomar to reconstitute the MSP Committee formed by the Centre and also revoke the gazette notification issued in this regard as the panel is not "representative" of the farming community.
In a letter to the Union Agriculture minister, Badal said that her party rejects the MSP Committee in its current form as it is not acceptable to the farming community.
"We need a fair committee in keeping with the spirit of the assurance given to Kisan Andolan representatives by the Prime Minister on December 9, 2021. Farmers across the country feel the committee constituted by the central government is not representative of the farming community and experts who had agitated against the farm laws." Badal said in her letter written on January 17.
She further alleged that the committee formed by the central government is not representative of the community and is "loaded" with government representatives who batted for the laws.
"In fact, the committee is loaded with central government representatives and has as its chairman the former agriculture secretary Sanjay Agarwal who was the architect of the three farm laws. It also includes Niti Aayog member Ramesh Chand and several other members who have been vociferous defenders of the farm laws," the letter said
"In stark contrast, it does not include any government representative from Punjab or any member from the state's agriculture University even as other state representatives and members from their agriculture universities have been included in the committee. Under the present committee, there is no scope of any discussion which would safeguard the interest of farmers as the three farmer representatives slated to be included in the committee will be outnumbered by government representatives," she said in her letter.
Today, she also twisted bout the same. "Farmers feel Committee constituted by the central government is not representative of the community and is loaded with government representatives who batted for the 3 farm laws. It also does not include any government representatives from Punjab or any member from the state's agriculture University."
Terming the MSP committee a "misnomer", Bathinda MP said that the prime minister had clearly stated that a committee would work on ways and means to make minimum support price (MSP) a legal guarantee.
"Instead of making this the key mandate of the Committee, the same has been changed to "making MSP more effective and transparent," she said.
