Congress manifesto promises legal guarantee for MSP under 'Kisan Nyay'

Congress promised "Kisan Nyay" in its poll manifesto

Congress on Friday introduced its manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections, with a focus on farmers, jobs, reservation and minorities.

Among the key promises made by the Congress is the legal guarantee of Minimum Support Price (MSP), an issue that has been a major flashpoint between the central government and farmers over the last few years.

"Congress is the only party that has lent its ear to the distress call of the farmers and farm labour and we are determined to do everything possible to alleviate their pain and make agriculture a desirable livelihood," the grand old party said in its manifesto.

The party said that the farmers' agitation rang the alarm bells to the deep crisis in the agriculture sector in India.

It also slammed BJP/NDA government's response, calling it "callous and brutal".

The manifesto promises to make available three avenues for sale of agricultural produce, including Regulated market under the APMC Act, e-market and facilitating sale at the farm-gate or at any other place of choice.

"Congress will give a legal guarantee to the Minimum Support Prices (MSP) announced by the government every year, as recommended by the Swaminathan Commission," the party promised in its "Nyay Patra".

It further said that MSP payable to the farmer-seller at the procurement centres and APMCs will be directly credited digitally to the bank account of the farmer.

Farmers, primarily from Punjab, have been staging protests to demand a legal guarantee for MSP. The issue again cropped up this year when the cultivators announced a march to Delhi to raise the issue.