Centre hike in wheat MSP a joke on farmers, says Amarinder Singh; Punjab CM accuses govt of not being serious about farmer welfare

New Delhi: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Wednesday termed the Centre’s decision to hike the MSP of wheat by Rs 105 per quintal a joke on the farmers of the country. The hike is inadequate and less than what the MS Swaminathan Commission recommended, Singh said in a statement in New Delhi. [caption id=“attachment_4049521” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh. AFP.[/caption] The chief minister said he has been personally pursuing the matter of full implementation of the Swaminathan Commission report, along with Rs 100 per quintal as compensation to farmers in lieu of not burning the paddy residue. However, the Centre has failed on both the counts, clearly indicating its non-seriousness on the issue of farmer welfare and environmental pollution, he alleged. Singh said the farming community across the country has also been fighting for the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission recommendations, in totality, to ensure better returns for them. He alleged the BJP-led Central Government has, over the last four years, failed to take any positive steps for farmers or for any other section of society. The BJP-led government at the Centre had promised to double farmers’ income, but the promise remains unfulfilled even as its tenure is coming to an end, he added.