SKM reaches out to MPs on demands for MSP legal guarantee, scrapping NPFAM

New Delhi, Feb 10 (PTI) As farmers' groups continue to press their demands for a legal guarantee on Minimum Support Price and scrapping the NPFAM, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) is reaching out to several members of parliament urging them to raise their issues with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"The Union Government has released a new National Policy Framework on Agriculture Marketing, NPFAM which is a recasting of the three farm laws that had been withdrawn," the SKM said.

Memorandums handed out to MPs by members of organisations under the banner of SMK urged the MPs to "support the genuine demands of farmers including repeal the proposed anti-farmer, anti-state government ‘National Policy Framework on Agriculture Marketing’ ( NPFAM)", the farmers' collective said.

It also asked the to urge the prime minister to fulfil the agreement "with SKM dated 9th December, 2021 signed by the NDA-II Government." The MPs who have been handed over the memorandums so far include Samajwadi Party members Jitendra Kumar Dohare, Lok Sabha MP from Itawa, Sambhal MP Ziaur Rahman, Mohanlalganj MP R K Chaudhary, and Rajya Sabha MP Ramji Lal Suman, besides the BJP Lok Sabha MP from Bhiwani-Mahendragarh in Haryana, Chaudhary Dharambir Singh, the SKM said.

The MPs were handed over the memorandums on February 8-9, and the campaign will continue till the end of February, it said.

The SKM, in the memorandum, alleged that the Union Budget has completely ignored the basic demand of farmers and farm workers.

"This (NPFAM) draft aims to push all agriculture activities under the control of private corporations and Multinational Companies... This is a grave threat to the independence of farmers and it will weaken the responsibilities of state governments to develop agriculture production, processing industries and market infrastructure by facilitating corporate takeover through contract farming," the memorandum said, adding that it is also silent on MSP.

It also urged MPs to raise the issue of Minimum Support Price (MSP) based on the C2 plus 50 percent formula, as with guaranteed procurement, and no privatisation of electricity.

"The Union Budget is not ready to ensure a justifiable share of the corporate profit to reach the primary producers, the farmers and farm workers, through ensuring market mechanisms for procurement based on remunerative price," the SKM said.

The memorandum also said there is no comprehensive scheme for loan waiver for farmers and farm workers, "During the last two years, scheduled commercial banks have written off loans to corporates amounting to Rs 2, 09,144 crore and Rs 1,70,000 crore respectively," it claimed.

They added the Budget is silent on employment generation and ending the rural-to-urban distress migration.

'Currently, the average work day provided under MNREGS is a mere 45 days against the promised 100 days. The demand is 200 work days with Rs.600 as daily wage...," the SKM added.

The umbrella body of farmers' groups, which had led the 2020-21 farmers' protest at Delhi's border that led to the repealing of the three farm laws, urged the MPs to raise the issues with the government and the Prime Minister. PTI AO AO RT RT

Source: PTI