Amit Shah hails Narendra Modi govt's hike in MSP of rabi crops, says decision will bring 'big relief' to farmers

New Delhi: Hailing the hike in the minimum support price (msp) of rabi crops as historic, BJP president Amit Shah Wednesday said that it will give unprecedented relief to farmers. Shah also took a dig at the previous governments, saying their schemes would be confined to files and manifestos but the Modi dispensation has been able to execute its schemes on the ground to the last word. [caption id=“attachment_5244761” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of BJP president Amit Shah. PTI[/caption] “This decision of the Modi government will prove decisive in the progress of farmers,” Shah said in the party statement. “Farmers’ happiness and prosperity have been a priority for the Modi government since the day it assumed power,” he said. Shah asserted that the Modi-led government is continuously working to double the farmers’ income to make their life easier. “After kharif, the recent increase in the MSP of rabi crops will not only ensure better value to the farmers for their crops, but also will bring qualitative improvement in their lives,” he said. Terming the decision to raise MSP for crops as a ‘big relief’ to farmers, the BJP chief reiterated that the Modi government is fulfilling its commitments and will continue to do so. The government Wednesday announced a 6 percent hike in wheat support price to Rs 1,840 per quintal and up to 21 percent increase in other rabi crops, a move that will give farmers Rs 62,635 crore additional income and help contain their simmering discontent over high input cost and low returns. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved higher MSP for six winter-sown or rabi crops. The decision comes a day after a huge protest by farmers in Delhi NCR to seek high support prices and loan waiver. Few months back, the government had announced higher MSP for kharif (summer) crops to fulfil its promise of giving farmers 50 percent more price than their cost of production. These measures are aimed at addressing farmers discontent ahead of the upcoming Assembly polls in key farm states and general elections 2019.