Bhagwant Mann slams Centre for non-representation of Punjab in MSP panel

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday slammed the Centre for not giving the state a representation in the committee formed on minimum support price.

AAP leader and the party's Rajya Sabha MP alleged the exclusion of Punjab from the Minimum Support Price (MSP) panel was "deliberate" and termed it an "insult" to the people of the state.

In a tweet, Mann said, "I condemn that the Centre has not given representation to Punjab in the panel on MSP as was promised to farmers... Punjab's farmers are already stuck in crop cycle and debt. MSP is our legal right... The Centre should ensure representation of Punjab in the MSP committee."

The Union government has formed a committee on Minimum Support Price (MSP), eight months after it promised to set up such a panel. According to the notification issued on Monday, the committee will look into ways to make MSP available to farmers by making the system more effective and transparent.

Besides MSP, the committee will look into ways to promote natural farming, crop diversification, and micro-irrigation schemes.

Among others, senior members of agricultural universities, five central government secretaries and chief secretaries of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim and Odisha are part of the panel.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of farmer unions, has declared that it will not be a part of the panel. Rejecting the committee, it alleged that "so-called farmer leaders" who supported the now-repealed farm laws are its members.

Objecting to the exclusion of Punjab institutions and state government representatives from the MSP committee, Chadha said, "By deliberately excluding Punjab, the Central government has insulted our people."

He claimed that principles of federalism had been "violated" through the non-representation of states, especially Punjab.