Bhopal: Slated to witness assembly elections later this year, Madhya Pradesh failed to find much out of the Union Budget 2018, especially for farmers who are battling falling farm prices and burgeoning debt.
Apparently aiming to rein-in farmers’ discontent ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha polls, finance minister Arun Jaitley was expected to opt for a viable alternative for Minimum Support Price mechanism which he didn’t and instead announced MSP 1.5 times the input cost of Kharif crops.
MP had seen a number of farmers’ agitation on falling farm prices this year, mostly during June when five farmers were killed in police firing during the protest. This had forced MP government to come up with Bhavantar scheme aimed at compensating farmer if they are forced to sell crops below MSP but traders did not allow this plan to succeed and deliberately crashed prices.
“Bhavantar incurred heavy losses to us and still the Centre is persisting with MSP mechanism which is beyond my understanding,” said Mahendra Patidar, a farmer from Sehore, which remained hotbed of farmers’ suicide due to growing farm loans.
Dr Sunilam, former MLA, best known for his Multai farmers’ agitation expressed disappointment over the farmers’ issues. “The Centre did not touch the loan waiver and alternative for MSP mechanism,” he said adding now the farmers are left with the option to force BJP and Congress to include these points in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh.
Another legislator Paras Saklecha, who led the charge in farmers’ agitation, also termed the budget highly disappointing. “Farmers, especially in MP, are financially stressed and the state is rattled by a string of farmers’ suicides. No provision for loan waiver or better prices for crops would make things worse for them,” he said alleging this was not a farmers’ budget.
“To prevent farmers’ suicides, no concrete measures were announced for loan waiver or doubling their income. MSP announcement is a mere eyewash,” Congress senior leader Kamal Nath said.
MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, however, heaped praises on budget terming it ‘the one reflecting soul of India’ and ‘the one which would rebuild the nation’. On being asked on MSP announcement, Chouhan backed Jaitley saying he has promised MSP 1.5 times the input cost or a mechanism to ensure this.
Budget announcement of job creations up to 70 lakh did not impress Akshay Hunka, a volunteer mapping the unemployment in MP. “It is an election year so Centre offered 70 lakh jobs and our CM would follow suit with hefty job creation promise in the state budget but I don’t think much would change on the ground,” said Hunka.
However, there are entrepreneurs who could see the silver lining in hefty budgetary allocations to sectors like farming and food proceedings.
“The Centre doubled up the allocation for food processing which is a major boost for an agrarian economy like Madhya Pradesh,” said Shanta Farms Indore, having operations in farming and pasteurized milk. Cluster farming involving the development of storage, process and marketing facilities is commendable step, she said hoping states find ways to implement MSP announcement. Industries, in general, rued the lack of focus on MSME sector.
“Corporate tax rate of 25% for MSMEs having turnover up to Rs 250 crore won’t make much difference to MP’s small industries as 99% units does not have the turnover to this tune. Plus developing brands in food processing has always been problematic. Nothing much for small industries in the budget,” Manoj Modi, president of Mandideep Industry Association said.
CII Madhya Pradesh senior office-bearer RS Goswami, however, backed excessive budgetary stress on food processing saying it could help states like MP to harness its agri potential.
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