New Delhi: The BJP on Sunday requested the Centre to convene an all-party meeting to address the farm crisis as also immediate implementation of the recommendations made by the National Farmers Commission (NCF).
In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, BJP President Rajnath Singh requested him not to divert prime farmland for non-agricultural purposes and also review the compensation provisions of the Land Acquisition Act.
The letter comes months before elections are to be held in several states of the Hindi heartland where farmers make up a substantial population.
"Prime farm land must be conserved for agriculture purposes and should not be diverted for non-agricultural purposes," the BJP President said.
However, last week, the BJP had supported the SEZ policy despite mounting concerns of farmers.
Singh said that degraded lands should be improved and rejuvenated both by the public and private sector and after careful matching of the need of the industry could be allocated for SEZs to bring a harmony between agriculture and industry sector.
Singh especially drew the Prime Minister's attention towards the growing number of suicides by farmers in the country; Singh said the numbers were going up despite the Government giving packages worth thousands of crores to the 'hot states'.
NCF recommendations that Singh has endorsed in his letter are a National Food Guarantee Act and an increased investment in agriculture research and upgrading technology.
Singh also said the minimum support price should be fixed at cost plus atleast 50 per cent of the cost, which should be made universal," he added.
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