Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Friday (February 4) said in the Rajya Sabha that the government is committed to form a panel on Minimum Support Price (MSP) and that the Election Commission has said that it can be done after the upcoming polls to the five state assemblies are over.
While announcing repeal of three farm laws in November last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to set up a committee to discuss the farmers’ demand of a legal guarantee on MSP.
Replying to a supplementary question during the Question Hour, Tomar said that the government had written to the Election Commission in view of assembly elections in five states.
The Union minister said that the matter of forming the committee on MSP is under consideration of the ministry and will be formed after the elections are over.
“The entire country knows that the prime minister has announced the formation of a committee to make crop diversification, natural farming and MSP effective and transparent. The government is committed to the announcement made by the prime minister. The matter is under consideration of the ministry,” Tomar said.
Also read: What government promise of MSPs to farmers actually entails
The minister said that since the elections are on, the government had written to the EC for guidance. “The EC’s reply has come. It has said that the committee should be formed after the elections conclude,” he said.
Elections are scheduled in five states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur, Goa, and Punjab.
(With inputs from agencies)