Good News for Farmers: ‘Transfer Rs 12,000 Instead of Rs 6,000 in Accounts’

The report stated that the proper implementation of Minimum Support Price (MSP) is crucial for agricultural reforms and farmers’ welfare.

The Parliament Standing Committee on Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Food Processing has recommended renaming the Ministry of Agriculture and increasing the annual amount of the PM Kisan Nidhi Yojana from Rs 6,000 to Rs12,000.

The committee, chaired by Congress MP Charanjit Singh Channi, presented its report on Tuesday in Parliament on the demand for grants for 2024-25. The committee stated that the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare should be renamed the Department of Agriculture, Farmers and Agricultural Labour Welfare, recognising the role of agricultural labourers. It recommended that the benefits of seasonal incentives given to farmers should also be extended to sharecroppers and agricultural labourers. Mandatory crop insurance for small farmers has been recommended. The committee stated that farmers with land holdings up to two hectares should receive the benefits of crop insurance on the lines of the central government’s Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana. It further recommended the speedy establishment of a National Minimum Livelihood Wage Commission for agricultural labourers to ensure they receive their pending entitlements.

Need to Grant Legal Status to MSP

The report stated that the proper implementation of Minimum Support Price (MSP) is crucial for agricultural reforms and farmers’ welfare. The committee suggested that a legally binding MSP should be implemented to provide farmers with economic stability. The committee recommended launching a loan waiver scheme for farmers and agricultural labourers, along with increasing the budget of the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.