New Delhi, October 3: A day after standoff between the agitating farmers and police at the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border, the Union Cabinet approved a hike in minimum support prices (MSPs) for six Rabi (winter-sown) crops such as wheat. The cabinet increased MSP of wheat by Rs 105 per quintal to Rs 1,840 per quintal.

Under the MSP policy, the government fixes the rates for 23 notified crops grown in kharif and rabi seasons. Besides wheat, MSP of safflower raised by Rs 845 per quintal, barley by Rs 30 per quintal, masur by Rs 225 per quintal, gram by Rs 220 per quintal, rapeseed and mustard by Rs 22 per quintal.

"By increasing the MSP today the farmers of India will have an additional income to the tune of Rs 62,635 Crores," union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said after the cabinet meet.

On Tuesday, violent clahses broke out between agitating farmers and the Delhi Police when cops stopped them from entering the national capital with tractors and trollies. The police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse them. The farmers had a charter of 15 demands including immediate loan waiver and fair prices for crops.

Their other demands include revoking of the ban on 10-year-old tractors in the National Capital Region (NCR), reduction in electricity tariff, implementation of the recommendations of the M.S. Swaminathan Commission on remunerative prices and payment of sugarcane arrears.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 03, 2018 05:39 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).