Chandigarh, Sep 8: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Wednesday thanked Prime Minister Narendra for hiking the MSP for Rabi crops, an increase dubbed as "grossly insufficient" a "cruel joke" on farmers by the Congress.

The Union government on Wednesday hiked the minimum support price (MSP) for wheat by Rs 40 to Rs 2,015 per quintal and for mustard seed by Rs 400 to Rs 5,050 per quintal for the current crop year.

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The decision to increase the MSP was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The MSP is the rate at which the government buys the grain from farmers.

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The government fixes MSP for 23 crops grown in both kharif and rabi seasons.

In a statement issued here, Khattar said the decision of hiking the MSP is another step taken towards doubling the income of farmers by 2022.

The CM said with the decision, farmers will definitely be getting additional income with a higher return on production costs.

"This decision will prove to be a boon to improve the economic condition of farmers," Khattar said.

He further said the Narendra Modi government is serious about interests of farmers and hiking the MSP shows that it is working for their economic uplift.

"Increasing the MSP of crops before the sowing season will certainly help farmers decide which crop they have to sow, so as earn more income," he added.

Meanwhile, Congress leader and former chief minister Hooda said, "The two per cent increase in the MSP of wheat, barley and gram is grossly insufficient and a cruel joke on farmers."

He said there has been a huge increase in the input cost as petrol and diesel prices have skyrocketed.

"Apart from the massive rise in the prices of petroleum products, prices of labour, fertilisers, seeds and other everyday items are also at record high levels," he said.

While the government promises to double the income of farmers by 2022, it has increased the MSP only by 2.5 per cent last year and a nominal rate hike of only two per cent this year, he said.

Hooda reminded that during the UPA government, the rate of wheat used to increase by nine to 10 per cent on an average every year.

"And even with such big hikes during the UPA time, Haryana BJP leaders used to hold demonstrations demanding to increase the rate of wheat MSP to Rs 2,100 seven years ago. Even after so many years, the government has still not been able to take the rate of wheat to Rs 2,100," said Hooda.

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