'All farm produce will be purchased at MSP, this is Modi govt’s guarantee': Agri Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan 

Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan assured the Rajya Sabha on December 6 that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government will ensure that all farm produce is purchased at the Minimum Support Price (MSP). “This is Modi govt’s guarantee,” he said. 

Chouhan’s statement could be seen as part of the broader policy efforts by the Modi government to address the issues faced by the agricultural sector, especially in the context of ongoing farm protests and demands for better price support.  

The MSP system, which sets a base price for crops to protect farmers from distress sales during market gluts, has been a cornerstone of Indian agricultural policy. 

A ‘jatha’ (group) of 101 farmers will embark on a foot march to Delhi at 1 pm today (December 6) from their protest site at the Shambhu border on the Punjab and Haryana border. The farmers are marching to force the Centre for a legal guarantee for minimum support price for crops. 

A heavy deployment of security personnel has been made on the Haryana side of the border. The Ambala district administration has already issued an order under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), restricting any unlawful assembly of five or more persons in the district. 

The deputy commissioner has directed that no procession on foot, vehicles, or other modes will be allowed till further orders. Ambala authorities ordered closure of all government and private schools in the district. 

A multilayered barricading is already in place at the Shambhu border point Rajpura (Punjab)-Ambala (Haryana) on National Highway-44. 

Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher termed the 101 farmers, who will begin the march ‘marjeevras’, someone willing to die for a cause. Pandher, who said the march would be carried out in a “peaceful manner”, slammed the Haryana administration prohibiting the foot march, despite his promising farmers will not take any tractor-trolley with them. 

Punjab Minister and AAP State president Aman Arora today said the Centre must listen to the farmers. He also wondered why must the government stop the farmers when they would be marching on foot in a peaceful manner. 

Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said everyone has the right to come and go anywhere or express their views peacefully in a democracy, but the BJP government wants to snatch this right from the farmers. 

The Ambala deputy commissioner-cum-district magistrate in an order dated November 30 prohibited unlawful assembly of five or more persons, and taking out any procession on foot, vehicles or through any other mode. 

"It is apprehended that a large number of protesters are likely to come from Punjab and Haryana and assemble at Shambhu border to move towards Delhi. Hence, appropriate steps need to be taken at the border points and within the district, including issuance of prohibitory orders under Section 163 of BNSS so as not to allow movement of any such person without prior permission,” the order read. 

The Haryana side of the border is also secured by paramilitary forces. Ambala Superintendent of Police, S S Bhoria said police had made elaborate arrangement to maintain law and order on the Haryana side of the border. He said any farmer who wanted to march to Delhi should have proper permission of competent authority, else he will be stopped. 

The farmers are gathered under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces. 

Pandher had on Thursday told reporters if the government stopped them from carrying out their march, it would be a “moral victory” for the farmers. Meanwhile, SKM leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal continues to be on his fast-unto-death at the Khanauri border point. 

Besides MSP, the farmers are demanding farm debt waiver, pension for farmers and farm labourers, no hike in electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases (against farmers), and “justice” for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence. 

Reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, and compensation to the families of farmers who died during the previous agitation in 2020-21 are also part of their demands. 

(With inputs from PTI)