Committee on MSP to Be Formed After Assembly Elections: Tomar

Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said in the Rajya Sabha on Friday that the government is committed to constituting a panel on Minimum Support Price (MSP), and that the Election Commission told it may be done once the elections are completed. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed to set up a committee to address the farmers' demand for a legal guarantee on MSP when he announced the repeal of three farm laws in November last year. 

During Question Hour, Tomar responded to a supplementary question by saying that the government has written to the Election Commission in preparation for assembly elections in five states. 

The topic of constituting the Committee on MSP is under discussion by the ministry, according to the minister, and would be constituted when the elections are completed. 

"Everyone in the country is aware that the prime minister has announced the creation of a committee to ensure that crop diversification, natural farming, and MSP are effective and transparent." The government intends to follow through on the Prime Minister's announcement. The ministry is looking into the situation," Tomar stated. 

He said the administration had written to the EC seeking assistance because the elections were underway.  "The EC's response has come. It said that the committee should be created after the elections," the minister explained. 

In the states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur, Goa, and Punjab, elections are scheduled. Asserting that the government is dedicated to procurement, he stated that guaranteeing MSP to farmers is one part, while also assisting them in making farming lucrative is another. 

He stated that in addition to expanding procurement, the government is putting in place  programmes like PM-KISAN, FPOs, and infrastructure fund allocations to allow farmers to store crops after harvesting. 

According to the minister, the government has been purchasing more wheat and paddy from farmers at MSP. Pulses and oilseeds are also being purchased. Any state that wishes to supply grains through PDS will be given authorization to do so.