BKU demands probe into Basmati purchase scam, pushes other demands in memo to Governor Punjab

CHANDIGARH: The Bharti Kisan Union (BKU) led by Bhupinder Singh Mann National President and Baldev Singh Mianpur President Punjab BKU today submitted a memorandum to Kaptan Singh Solanki, Governor of Punjab. The BKU demanded a thorough probe into the Basmati Purchase Scam and demanded to write off debt of farmers of Punjab. The BKU also rejected Wheat MSP hike of Rs.75 per quintal. The memorendum said that it is a well known fact that the Economy of Punjab is predominantly driven by agriculture and allied agri-services. The prices of all necessary commodities have gone sky high and beyond the reach of common man. Unfortunately the prices of all agriculture produces, like Paddy, Basmati, Cotton, Potato, Sugarcane, Sunflower, Pulses have gone down drastically. The farmer is being forced to sell his produce below his cost of production and sometimes he has to even throw his produces on the roads free of cost. At the same time the end consumer is being looted with exorbitant prices. The recent example is the loot of farmers in the sale of Basmati.
The Punjab government had promised that every grain of paddy/basmati will be purchased. However the farmers are forced to sell the basmati at just Rs. 1400-1500 per quintal. Last year the price of the same verity was Rs. 3500 per quintal. Even this year the international price of basmati is same as last years. Then why this loot of farmers this time? We demand a full-fledged probe in this entire “Basmati Purchase Scam”. We also demand that the farmers should be compensated by Rs.1000 per quintal for basmati sold by them.BKU rejects the meager increase in MSP of wheat. It is a cruel joke on the farmers. As per the agriculture experts, the cost of production of wheat from sowing to selling in mandi comes to Rs. 2730 per quintal. In this costing no profit of farmer has been added. Now the pathetically low increase of 8% of MSP to Rs. 1525 is totally devoid of any justification.When the prices of “Dals” (Pulses) have sky rocketed and consumers are crying all over the country the Government has merely increased the MSP by 5%. It is shocking that the farmer is selling dal at around Rs. 30 per killo, the cosumer is getting same dal at Rs. 200 per kilo. Who is pocketing Rs.170 per kilo of dal? The systemic parasites are killing both the farmers and the consumers.
We demand that MSP of all agriculture produce should be determent as per recommendations of Swaminathan Commission. This was the promise given by Narendar Modi and Parkash Singh Badal before the 2014 elections. BJP should fulfill this promise as per its manifesto.