MSP hike

BJP which has been at the receiving end of farmer protests in several States since coming to power at the Centre in 2014 fared badly in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat during last year’s assembly elections over failure to pay the promised procurement prices to farmers. Now, in what is being hyped as a big bonanza for farmers, the government seems to have opened its coffers, offering the highest ever MSP for 14 Kharif crops.

Though the aim appears to make the small and middle-income farmers the beneficiaries, the MSP gainers are mostly those who have a surplus produce. In most cases, only around 20 per cent of farmers benefit from it and those left out may turn against the government. Will the Centre’s latest MSP hike likely to solve the crisis of Indian agriculture? Coming as it does ahead of crucial State and later parliamentary polls, it might improve the electoral prospects of the ruling party. But finding alternative avenues of employment in villages and towns are of vital importance.

Chennai

With reference to your editorial ‘Limits to MSP’ (July 5), you have rightly emphasised the need on the part of the Government at the Centre to shift from price support to income support.

The BJP has fulfilled its poll promise made in 2014. It is a good initiative to support the agrarian activity although quite belatedly executed The concerns raised by NITI Aayog need a closer scrutiny before implementation.

The MSP for Ragi is the highest this step should certainly prove to be a relief to the farmers.

As there could be duplication of the benefit being passed on to the farmers, the Centre and the States should take each other into confidence before implementation. The ICAR should be involved in the process of evaluating the cost of production of each crop in various regions and then the rate of MSP be decided sans in an arbitrary manner. . The small and marginal farmers alone be given the support.

A small/nominal contribution by all the farmers to a new Corpus Fund may be established with each and every farmer as a member called CFF to assist the farmers in the long run so that this MSP does not prove to be a big liability to the budget every year.

The post-sanction utilisation of the fund also may be studied to ensure the end-use of the funds given by the government to assess the benefit and impact arising out of the MSP Scheme over a period of time.

Chennai

The Kejriwal government has received a boost as the SC ruled that although Delhi isn’t a full-fledged State, the LG is bound by the advice of the council of ministers, except for a few subject matters such as land, police and public order reserved for the Centre. While the verdict of the five-judge bench will help in streamlining administration, there is a need for further clarity on the relative powers of the centre and state over the Union Territory.

While the Constitution bench ordered that the LG does not have independent decision-making powers, it made no mention on who has the authority over the services department that has been at the heart of AAP’s tussle with the state bureaucracy.

As of now Kejriwal is a quasi-CM of Delhi with its population of about 20 million. Surely, Delhi deserves an administration which reflects the popular will. In the past, the BJP had strongly advocated statehood for Delhi and even introduced a bill to this effect in 2003. The draft statehood bill prepared by AAP urgently deserves consideration.

Hyderabad

With reference to “Iran issue tests India’s foreign policy” (July 5), it seems that the Trump administration is deliberately ignoring the common interest of the world countries. Unlike Obama who did his best to forge a rapport with Iran, Trump has a lackadaisical attitude towards building a strong, cordial relationship with other nations.

If India decides to stop import oil from Iran it will become dependent on the US for shale oil. As India moves closer to the US, it has been steadily moving away from its old and trusted ally Russia.

India, at least now, has to convey a clear message that is no longer interested to dance to US’ tune. India should not allow its foreign policy to be dictated by other nations.

Cuddalore

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