Jakhar lauds farmers’ role in meeting food security
Monday, 21/01/2013
http://epaper.dailypostindia.com/Details.aspx?id=60490&boxid=57741&uid=&dat=2013-01-21
Chandigarh : Punjab CLP leader Sunil Jakhar, a member of the Agricultural Committee, constituted by the AICC president Sonia Gandhi for the Chintan Shivir at Jaipur, has said that farmers had done commendable job in filling the granary to meet needs of millions of Indians but they still have to secure loans to meet their own needs.
Presenting his views before the committee, which met in Jaipur on Sunday, he said, “To make agricultural economically viable we will have to fix MSP for the agricultural produce after evaluating the cost of inputs-fertilisers, diesel and insecticides.”
He regretted that farmers don’t get remunerative price after doing hard labour during the crop season but had to throw away the produce sometimes on the roads. Even when the consumers had to pocket off Rs 30 for each kg of onion and potato but the profit was pocketed by traders, it did not benefit the farmers. Jakhar strongly objected to the observations made in the Shivir by Union Rural Development Minister CP Joshi by complaining that most of the state governments have been exploring the MNREGA scheme to meet political ends instead of passing on the benefit to job holder labour. Work under MNREGA should be offered only when workers have no job in the fields. This, he asserted, will keep labour busy throughout the year.
During the meeting of the high-powered committee, constituted to face challenges on social and economic front, Jakhar said, “We will have to implement development schemes for common and downtrodden residents in urban areas. More significant than Mission-2014 is implementing the welfare schemes aimed to benefit urban people.
Takes part in AICC Agriculture Committee meet in Jaipur
