Congress to champion farmer's cause

By Javed M. Ansari

NEW DELHI, JAN. 26. The new buzz word in the Congress is plight of farmers. Signalling its intention to put the NDA Government on the mat for their difficult situation, the party plans to focus on the issue in a big way.

The party has decided to bring a special resolution for discussion at its Bangalore plenary session scheduled to commence on February 14. A special sub-committee, headed by the former Agriculture Minister, Mr. Balram Jhakhar, and including Mr. Shivraj Patil, Mr. D. P. Yadav, Mr. Verappa Moily and Mr. Prithviraj Chauhan, has suggested a series of measures, besides laying the blame at the NDA Government's door.

The draft of the resolution includes a call for continuation of agricultural subsidy on the present pattern, conferring of industry status on agriculture and a demand that the Government purchase the entire market arrivals of wheat, paddy and rice.

The draft has noted that the cost of inputs has increased manifold, while there is no uniform procurement price. The party has recalled that in the 47 years of Congress rule the price of diesel increased to Rs. 6.50 whereas during the four years of non-Congress governments the increase was of the over of Rs. 11.

Whereas the Congress Governments removed duty on processed food to encourage export, the NDA government has reimposed it. Imports of edible oil have increased to 40 per cent, up from 4 per cent during the Congress rule. The draft has also accused the NDA Government of removing Quantitative Restrictions, under pressure, three years earlier than the period agreed upon.

The draft says potato and tomato farmers did not have buyers even if the commodities were offered at throwaway prices, while cotton growers were unable to pay back loans, resulting in many of them attempting suicide. In Punjab and Bihar, the farmers were up in arms because government agencies were not purchasing their produce according to the minimum support price policy. The Indian farmers are frequently threatened with withdrawal of subsidies, despite the fact that developed countries are highly subsidising their farmers. ``In the United States, the subsidy to the agriculture sector is as high as $28 billion, while in India it was a pittance.''

The draft commits the Congress to giving higher priority to the farmers' problems which relate to production, procurement, processing, marketing, research and extension and international trade. For each of these areas the draft has proposed a series of ameliorative measures.

Calling for a review of the National Agricultural Policy, the draft also suggests that the supply price of diesel, power for irrigation, fertilizers, seeds and pesticides and agro-machinery be rationalised to minimise the cost of production.

On procurement, the draft suggests that the government purchase the entire market arrivals of wheat, paddy and other commodities at the declared support price. On marketing, it suggests on open auctioning of agricultural, horticultural commodities and poultry so that the producer will know the bids being made. It has called on the Government to put an end to indiscriminate import of agriculture commodities, and, suggested, instead, giving of incentives for export.

On the WTO agreement, the draft suggests that it does not impose any obligation to curtail subsidies. It has called on the government to take a firm stand at negotiations and not to allow the country to become a dumping ground for foreign commodities.

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