New Delhi [India], December 17 (ANI): The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, and Food Processing presented its First Report (Eighteenth Lok Sabha) on the ‘Demands for Grants (2024-25)’ for the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare to the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
According to an official release from the Lok Sabha Secretariat, the report was submitted by former Punjab Chief Minister and incumbent MP from Jalandhar, Charanjit Singh Channi, who also serves as the chairperson of the Standing Committee on Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, and Food Processing.
The report outlines the financial allocations and budgetary proposals for the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare for the upcoming fiscal year, detailing key priorities for India’s agricultural sector.
The report is a crucial part of the parliamentary process, providing recommendations and observations on the ministry’s budgetary provisions, which will be scrutinised by the Lok Sabha.
As per the release, some key recommendations of the Committee include:
The first recommendation highlights the Need for an Increase in Budgetary Allocations to Agriculture.
Data indicated that while the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare received higher allocations in absolute terms from 2021-22 to 2024-25 compared to other departments, its percentage share in the total Central plan outlay declined from 3.53 per cent in 2020-21 to 2.54 per cent in 2024-25. The Committee urged the government to enhance allocations to agriculture, particularly to improve productivity.
The second recommendation is a Change of Nomenclature of the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare to the Department of Agriculture, Farmers, and Farm Labourers Welfare.
To reflect a broader focus on the welfare of agricultural labourers, along with farmers, and to acknowledge their significant role in the agricultural sector, the Committee recommended the name change.
The Committee also proposed that the support under the PM-KISAN scheme be increased from Rs6,000 per annum to Rs12,000. Additionally, it recommended that seasonal incentives provided to farmers be extended to tenant farmers and farm labourers.
Another notable recommendation is to provide a Minimum Support Price (MSP) to Farmers as a Legal Guarantee.
The Committee observed that the implementation of MSP remains central to discussions on agricultural reforms and farmers’ welfare in India. It emphasised that a legally binding MSP could reduce farmer suicides by ensuring financial stability, mitigating market volatility, and alleviating debt burdens.
The Committee further recommended the Implementation of Universal Crop Insurance for Smallholder Farmers.
It suggested that the Department explore the possibility of providing compulsory Universal Crop Insurance for small farmers with landholdings of up to 2 hectares, modelled after the Union Government’s Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) health insurance scheme.
The recommendation on Minimum Living Wages to Farm Labourers urged the establishment of a National Commission for Minimum Living Wages for Farm Labourers at the earliest, addressing their long-pending rights.
Another key recommendation is the Introduction of a Scheme to Waive Off Farmers’ and Farm Labourers’ Debt.
Considering the rising farmer debt and suicides linked to agricultural distress, the Committee recommended the introduction of a government-backed debt waiver scheme.
These recommendations are expected to inform policy decisions and financial strategies for the agricultural sector in the coming year, ensuring that issues such as irrigation, soil health, agricultural productivity, and rural development receive adequate attention.
Meanwhile, as part of the ongoing farmers’ protests, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher on Tuesday called for a ‘Rail Roko’ in Punjab on December 18, from 12 PM to 3 PM.
He urged the people of Punjab to participate in the protest. “Tomorrow, we will conduct Rail Roko in Punjab; I urge everyone to stop trains from 12 to 3 PM,” Pandher told ANI.
Appealing for public support, he said, “Support farmers’ protests as much as possible. Punjabis need to fight as one.”
Accusing the central government of neglecting farmers’ issues, he added, “All unions are protesting uniformly. Our protest is not against the state government.”
When asked about Jagjit Singh Dallewal’s hunger strike, Pandher said his condition was critical. “Dallewal’s condition is critical; if anything happens, the central government will be responsible,” Pandher cautioned.
Reportedly, the ongoing farmers’ protests entered their 309th day on Tuesday.
“There is pressure from 140 crore Indians, 3 crore Punjabis, and 2.5 crore Haryanvis on the Modi government. We have 12 demands,” Pandher stated. “The singers of Punjab have turned this into a people’s movement,” he added.
Earlier in the day, Congress MP Manickam Tagore moved an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha to discuss Jagjit Singh Dallewal’s hunger strike, which has entered its 21st day.
“Dallewal, the president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Sidhupur), is in critical condition, with medical experts advising immediate hospitalisation due to his deteriorating health. Despite this, he has refused medical intervention, insisting on continuing his hunger strike for the farmers’ cause,” Tagore noted.
He urged the central government to take immediate action and engage in a meaningful dialogue with farmers’ representatives. (ANI)
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