Sen panel may present grain policy on Friday

NEW DELHI: The high level committee headed by Prof Abhijit Sen to coin a long term grain policy is likely to its report to the food ministry on Friday.
Prof Sen, who submitted his interim report last year, is understood to have sought an appointment with food minister Sharad Yadav in order to present his final report.
Although the panel had considered income support to farmers after doing away with the MSP scheme — the proposal was that the difference between a three year average open market price of foodgrains and the MSP be paid directly to farmers in seasons when the MSP was lower — this was considered politically unviable and came up for stringent opposition from the agriculture ministry.
In that event, the panel is expected to suggest retention of the MSP but with a good degree of rationalisation that would preclude its being hiked well over the CACP’s recommendation every season under political pressure.