Silent on MSP & doubling farmers income by 2022, Union budget disappointing: Himachal Kissan Sabha

Himachal Kissan Sabha termed the Union Budget 2023 highly disappointing as it is silent on the promise of minimum support price and doubling income of farmers in the country by 2022.  State President of Himachal Kisan Sabha Dr. Kuldeep Singh Tanwar said that no provision has been made in the Union Budget for the general public and the rural poor.  The budget allocation for MNREGA, PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, Rural Development, Education, Health has been reduced.  At the same time, the government has also cut fertilizer and food subsidy in the budget. Dr Tanwar said that instead of giving relief to farmers in the budget, the government has only offered loans to them, while thousands of farmers are committing suicide every year due to debt. Dr Tanwar said that in the second term of the NDA government, inflation and unemployment are at its peak, but instead of increasing the working days and budget of MNREGA, which provides small employment to the rural unemployed, the government reduced its budget. There is no mention in the budget even on the promise of minimum support price and doubling the income of farmers by 2022, which is a big betrayal and promise to the farmers.   It was expected that the central government would give relief to the orchardists by increasing the import duty of apples by 100 per cent, but the government did nothing.  At the same time, the horticulturists of the state are demanding support price on the lines of Jammu and Kashmir, but the government’s budget is silent on this too.  Before state assembly election, Modi government has made promise to the farmers  that CA stored and processing plants for the fruit and vegetable producers would be set up however so far no efforts have been made in that direction, nor has the budget focused on vegetables etc.  Provision has been made to give any support price.  On the contrary, the subsidy on fertilizers has been cut, which will increase the cost price. HKS president said that the government is laying emphasis on the production of millets, but the budget of the government does not say anything about the provision of sufficient seeds, lack of production and any compensation for losses or special provision for its marketing.  Despite the announcement of the minimum support price on maize, the largest crop in the state, neither the announced support price is ever met nor the government makes arrangements for its purchase. Overall, the budget is indifferent to the basic questions and basic problems of the farmers, he added.