Give Legal Guarantee to MSP Demands Congress

New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "silence" on granting legal guarantee for Minimum Support Priceand claimed the government has raised the MSP for wheat by Rs 150 as its stocks are depleting.

Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh also took a dig at Modi for "taking credit" for this 'big' increase, and said while the MSP for wheat went up by 119 per cent during the Manmohan Singh government, it has increased by "only 57 percent" under the NDA regime. "The MSP for wheat has been raised by Rs 150 per quintal.

As usual, the prime minister is taking credit for this 'big' increase. But the reality is something else. This has happened due to the government's wheat reserves being on the verge of being completely empty," he said in a post on X in Hindi. "Actually, the truth is that this is not the first time that the MSP of wheat has been increased by Rs 150 per quintal. MSP increases have happened before and have been much higher than this. During the government of former prime minister Manmohan Singh, the MSP of wheat increased by 119 per cent whereas during the tenure of Narendra Modi it increased by only 57 percent," the Congress leader said. "But right now the increase in MSP, which is a necessity, is also being presented as a 'favour' by the Prime Minister," he alleged. "And what happened to the Kisan Morcha's demand for giving legal guarantee for MSP? This is even more important at a time when purchases by the Prime Minister's friends are rising," Ramesh asked.

He also asked why soybean is being sold below the MSP in Madhya Pradesh and why is the government importing cheap edible oil, which is going to cross 17 million tonnes this year – the highest ever. "When will the prime minister break his silence on these questions?" Ahead of the assembly polls in key wheat-growing states, the government on Wednesday announced an increase in the minimum support price of wheat by Rs 150 to Rs 2,275 per quintal for the 2024-25 marketing season. This is the highest quantum of increase in MSP for any marketing season since the Modi government came to power in 2014.

Besides, the MSPs for five other rabi crops -- gram, barley, lentil (masur), rapeseed-mustard seed and safflower -- have been hiked. A decision in this regard was taken at the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by PM Modi. The MSP for wheat stands at Rs 2,125 per quintal for the 2023-24 marketing season (April-March). Wheat is the main rabi (winter) crop and its sowing begins in October while harvesting starts from April. MSP is the minimum rate at which the grain is purchased by the government procurement agencies.