Seek farmers' views in drafting budget: BJP MP Satyapal Singh

NEW DELHI: There is a need to involve farming community actively in drafting of the Union Budget, BJP MP Satyapal Singh said today.

The Finance Ministry has already started the 2015-16 Budgetary exercise by seeking inputs from various ministries.

"About 65 per cent of population is still dependent on agriculture. Agrarian community is most distressed and neglected even today. We are never bothered about them. ...farmers are never consulted before drafting the budget," Singh, who represents Baghpat Lok Sabha constituency in UP, said.

There has been no farmers' representation either in Planning Commission or in Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) so far, he said while addressing a seminar organised by the Council for Social Development (CSD) here.

"Without involvement and participation of farmers, we have been designing policies for farmers. The policies are all bureaucratic driven," he said and stressed their active participation in the Budget process.

Expressing concern over absence of sound farm policy in the country, Singh said, "I don't think there is a policy paralysis. In fact there is no policy at all for agriculture."

The existing policies, so far, have not been able to improve farm income and encourage youth to take it up as a profession, he said.

"We have such policies that out of 350 pesticides used in India, not a single molecule is developed here. All pesticides come from outside. Our policies have poisoned our soil."

Echoing similar views, Former CACP Chairman and CSD Director T Haque said: "Thousands of farmers commit suicides due to economic stress. Small and marginal farmers are not able to face the challenge of high cost and capital intensive agriculture."

Farmers cannot shift from agriculture as livelihood options are limited because of lack of education, skill development, capital and slow growth of rural non-farm enterprise, he added.