UPA govt refused to provide 50% profit on cost to farmers: Agri minister

Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday said the previous UPA government had refused to provide 50 per cent profit on cost to farmers in the minimum support price for crops, as based on the formula suggested by the M S Swaminathan Commission.

During the Question Hour in the Lok Sabha, Congress MP Deepender Hooda asked a supplementary question related to the farmers' protests of 2020-21 and said around 750 farmers lost their lives during the agitation.

He asked if the government is considering providing jobs to the next of kin of those who lost their lives during the year-long protests at Delhi's borders against three contentious farm laws of the Centre that have since been repealed.

Chouhan said the question was not related to the main question, which was on issues faced by farmers.

"The government is totally committed to farmers' welfare," he said.

The agriculture minister alleged that the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government had refused to ...