Bhagwant Mann, chief minister of Punjab has demanded that farmers' interests be safeguarded by a legislative guarantee of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops. Additionally, he advised the Center to set up a fail-safe marketing structure for substitute crops.
While speaking at the Niti Aayog national council meeting, which was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the chief minister recalled how, at a time when the country was starving, the hardworking and resilient farmers of Punjab had made the country self-sufficient in food production.
However, because agriculture is no longer a profitable business, farmers are facing a serious crisis, according to him. According to an official statement, Mann stated that all efforts must be made to rescue farmers from this situation and that the Union government must step in.
The chief minister emphasized the importance of making MSP on crops a legal guarantee, saying it is urgently needed to protect farmers' interests. He stated that MSP must be remunerative because agricultural input costs have risen dramatically and farmers are not receiving the correct price for their harvest, according to the statement.
The chief minister flatly rejected the government's MSP committee and demanded that it be reconstituted with "real farmers" as members. He claims that the committee is dominated by armchair economists who have no knowledge of agriculture. According to the statement, Mann stated that this committee should include agricultural experts as well as all stakeholders.
Concerned about the import of pulses at exorbitant prices, the chief minister stated that this drain on the country's wealth must be stopped, and Punjab can play an important role in this. He stated that the state's farmers are ready to make the country self-sufficient in pulse production. Mann, on the other hand, stated that the Union government must announce MSP for pulses as well as an assured marketing system for it, according to the statement.
The chief minister stated that crop diversification is urgently needed to break farmers out of the wheat/paddy cycle on the one hand and to save the depleting groundwater level on the other. Noting that 117 of the total 150 blocks' water levels are in the danger zone, Mann sought the Centre's assistance in reducing water levels by introducing MSP on alternative crops as well.
The chief minister also informed the Niti Aayog that the state government is working hard to revamp the state's education structure. He stated that the state's education system is currently in disarray, and that much work remains to be done. According to the statement, Mann stated that his government's top priority is to provide quality and accessible education to students, particularly girls.
Mann made a strong case for the promotion of the food processing industry in Punjab, claiming that it has enormous potential that must be realized. He stated that the Union government should provide the state with generous funds to promote the food processing industry. The chief minister also demanded a special allocation of funds for the revitalization of the state's canal system, claiming that it is urgent to strengthen and repair the existing system.
Mann stated that the canals built both before and after independence must be strengthened and upgraded, for which the Centre must provide a special package to the state. Mann also requested that funds be released immediately for the state's higher education sector.
Mann, who is aiming his guns at former state chief ministers, claims that none of his predecessors bothered to attend this meeting in the last three years, resulting in a massive loss for the state. Mann claimed that none of them came to the meeting and instead wrote ineffective letters.
He claimed that these leaders remained confined in their own palaces and ignored state interests. "However, today I have duly used this platform to raise the issues that the state is facing, and I am hopeful that the Government of India will pay attention to resolving them," the statement quoted him as saying.
