HERE IS A BUDGETARY WAY TO SAVE FARMERS

Bhavantar = Bhav  Antar ( Price Difference )

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Hindustan Times ( 24 Jan ) carries following news :

“ Bhavantar “  policy set to show the way “

 

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/mp-s-bhavantar-policy-for-farmers-set-to-become-a-national-template/story-Ngbx1QRH2W3NiHXvZt9hvL.html

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Highlights :

·         Direct Cash Transfers to farmers for market losses

·         Could be replicated nationally to curb rural dissent

·         Govt fills gap between federally – fixed prices and market rates for select crops

·         MP govt paid Rs 140 Crore in 1^st cycle ( Oct 16-31, 2017 )

·         In 2^nd cycle ( Nov 1-30 ) , Rs 746 crore was paid

Scheme currently covers oilseeds and pulses

I am glad , MP government has started implementing my following suggestion ( although , with some variance ) . Let us hope this finds a place in Shri Jaitley’s Budget Speech :

A Different Kind of UFO ?  [  22  Sept  2017  ]

https://myblogepage.blogspot.in/2017/09/a-different-kind-of-ufo.html

The UFO which all of us understand , stands for “ Unidentified  Flying  Object “

What I have in mind is “ Universal Farm  Output “

Something like currently talked about “ Universal Basic Income “ for the very poor

A great majority of our farmers , too , are very poor – and very indebted

Whenever the rains fail and their crops wither , they are forced to commit suicide ( - since for them , honour comes before life ) . Some 17,000 + every year

Other day , on TV , I heard a farm expert  wonder :

“ Even when the rains are reasonable , farm income of an ordinary farmer  barely comes to Rs 6,000 per acre ,

But ,

Our “ Farmer MPs “ ( who have declared their profession as “ Farming “ ) , show in their income tax return , “ agricultural income “ at Rs 6 lakh per acre , even when their land is located in a famine-stricken area  “

How come  ?  Using what “ technology “ do they pull off such a miracle ?

Of course , we will never know !

But that prompts following suggestion

Government has fixed MSP ( Minimum Support Price ) per quintal for most farm produce

It will buy , at this price , whatever quantity of grains , a farmer produces

But , during a famine , poor farmer cannot produce anything , not being in possession of that superior “ technology “ !

During such occasions , I suggest that the government pays him as follows :

·       *    MSP ( for the quantity of grains produced ) , or

·       *    Rs 6 lakhs per acre of land,

-      -  whichever is higher  

Of course , we will need to lay down very strict criteria for deciding which farmer will get this UFO , where and when and how often !

For our poor farmers , there cannot be a better “ Republic Day Gift “ than this !

26  Jan  2018

www.hemenparekh.in / blogs