NE NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, FEB 2
Alleging the Union Budget for 2022-23 has shown the government does not care about farmers’ welfare, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha on Tuesday called on farmers to prepare for another “massive struggle” over minimum support price and other issues.
SKM Press Note on #Budget2022
Govt betrays farmers once again — Budget exposes empty promises of Govt on MSP and Doubling Farmers’ Income.
This Budget is the govt's revenge on the struggling farmers and a call for the farmers to intensify the movement for MSP Guarantee Act: SKM pic.twitter.com/1tjFcXJHQa— Kisan Ekta Morcha (@kisanektamorcha) February 1, 2022
https://twitter.com/Tractor2twitr/status/1488722264644149248?s=20&t=hGlC4aNVKq56_w8vyhY6VA
The umbrella body of farm unions, that spearheaded protests against the Centre’s now-repealed agri laws, claimed there has been a reduction in the share of agriculture and allied activities in the Budget to 3.8 percent from 4.3 percent last time.
It claimed the government wants to “punish” the farmers for their successful over a year-long demonstration at Delhi’s borders that were withdrawn after the contentious farm laws were rescinded in Parliament last year.
“On the whole, this Budget has shown the government does not care about the welfare of farmers despite the ‘jumla’ (rhetoric) of adding ‘Farmers Welfare’ to the name of its Ministry.
“It is as if the government, smarting under its defeat on the three anti-farmer laws, is out to take revenge on the farmer community,” the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) said in a statement.
It pointed out that the government has not established the committee on MSP even after 50 days of its written promise.
“While the farmers are demanding MSP guarantee for all crops, the Budget speech mentioned only procurement for paddy and wheat from 1.63 crore farmers which form about 10 per cent of all farmers in the country.”
“The SKM denounces this anti-farmer budget and calls upon the farmers of the country to prepare for another massive struggle for the minimum support price and other burning issues,” the statement said.
Accusing the government of “stalling” the demand for legal guarantee of MSP, it said, “The least expected by the farmers is the government will make sufficient budget allocations to implement MSP.”
On Monday too, the SKM threatened to resume its agitation if the government does not fulfil promises made to farmers in December last year.
Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh camped at Delhi’s borders for over a year demanding the repeal of the Centre’s three contentious farm laws.
