New Delhi, (Samajweekly) As the war between the government and the oposition on farmers issue heats up inside and outside Parliament, Congress leader and former Union minister Jairam Ramesh has tweeted a report about MSP by Prime Minister Modi when he was Gujarat Chief Minister and heading a working group on consumer affairs in 2011.
“We should protect farmers’ interests by mandating through statutory provisions that no farmer-trader transaction should be below MSP” recommends the report on Consumer Affairs under Chairmanship of Gujarat CM @narendramodi in 2011. What about this U-turn, Madam FM @nsitharaman?” Ramesh asked Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
As per Ramesh’s tweets, the chairman of the working group submitted its report in presence of then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherji and the committee was constituted on April 8, 2010.
The report says,”Enforce MSP since intermediaries play a vital role in the functioning of the markets,and at times they have advance contracts with the farmers. In respect of essential commodities we should protect farmers interests by mandating through statuary provisions that no farmer trader transactions should be below the MSP wherever prescribed.”
Ramesh’s tweets came on day when Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman hit back at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s “Hum do, Hamare do” jibe with the same slogan. She also accused him of playing a role like a “doomsday man” by insulting the legislative authority like the PM, former PM, President and even the Lok Sabha chair.
“The party’s position in Rajya Sabha is different and here in Lok Sabha they show another position. The party is continuously spreading fake narrative. The party follows two tendencies — create institution, use it for own benefit; create disturbance,” Sitharaman said.
