Now Reading: Ex-MP moves Supreme Court for MSP based on Swaminathan formula
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Ex-MP moves Supreme Court for MSP based on Swaminathan formula
A public interest litigation has been filed in the Supreme Court by former Lok Sabha MP Vadde Sobhanadreeswara Rao, seeking the implementation of a legally enforceable minimum support price (MSP) for all…
A public interest litigation has been filed in the Supreme Court by former Lok Sabha MP Vadde Sobhanadreeswara Rao, seeking the implementation of a legally enforceable minimum support price (MSP) for all notified crops based on the Swaminathan Commission formula of C2 (actual cost of cultivation) plus 50% profit margin. The petition also demands a one-time waiver of crop loan dues for small and marginal farmers affected by agrarian distress.
The PIL, which was tagged with a similar case by a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V Mohana, seeks a timebound statutory framework to ensure no agricultural produce is bought below MSP. Rao has also asked the court to direct the government to consider enacting a central law akin to the Kerala Farmers' Debt Relief Commission Act. Other demands include better institutional credit access for tenant farmers, increased allocation for price support schemes like PM-AASHA, and a statutory fund for climate-related disasters.
The petition further seeks protection for disaster-affected farmers, including a moratorium on loan recovery during crop failures. In April, the court had already issued notice on a similar plea by Maharashtra farmers seeking weightage to C2 cost in MSP fixation.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The Swaminathan Commission's C2+50% formula has been a political flashpoint for years, with farmer unions arguing successive governments have not fully implemented it. The court now has two similar petitions on MSP and loan waivers, raising the possibility of a coordinated hearing. The key number to watch is the estimated fiscal impact: a full waiver of crop loans for small and marginal farmers could cost the exchequer over Rs 2 lakh crore, making any judicial order a major budget constraint. The next hearing date will signal whether the court intends to set a timeline for the government's response.
Source: livelaw.in
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
