Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Wednesday rejected as inadequate the "paltry" MRU Rs 85 per quintal hike in wheat MSP announced by the Centre, saying it was not enough to even meet the increase in agricultural input costs.

Terming it a mere cosmetic measure that only paid lip service to the needs of the farmers, the Chief Minister said the hike was insufficient to provide even interim relief to the beleaguered farming community, leave alone to address their long-term concerns.

He also flayed the central government over its failure to announce the bonus of Rs 100 per quintal which Punjab had been persistently and repeatedly demanding for post-harvest management of stubble. This showed the total lack of concern on the part of the Modi Government for the welfare of the farmers, who were living in pitiable condition, with many of them driven to suicide across the nation, he added. The Chief Minister pointed out that the latest MSP hike for Wheat did not meet the State Government’s demand for 50 per cent hike over and above C2 (a comprehensive cost, accounting for the rentals and interest forgone on owned land and fixed capital assets over A2 + FL, which covers the actual paid out costs plus an imputed value of unpaid family labour).

The increase announced by Centre did not meet the expectations of the distressed farming community, nor was it adequate to address the root of the problem, as identified by the Swaminathan Commission, said Captain Amarinder Singh, reiterating his demand for in toto implementation of the MS Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations.The Modi Government, pointed out the Chief Minister, had also failed to ensure the purchase of other crops at MSP to bring the farmers out of the vicious wheat-rice cultivation cycle, which was depleting the water table, besides impacting the incomes of the farming community.