Farmers and businessmen cannot be treated differently: Paswan
New Delhi, July 3: Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Tuesday said there cannot be two different policies for farmers and businessman even as he demanded assured 50 per cent profit for agricultural commodities.
"Nobody knows the production cost of cars and the profit margin by the companies. Farmers cannot decide the production cost of their crops. Farmers should get Minimum Support Price (MSP) of 1.5 times the input cost. It should be neither less nor more," Paswan, the chief of the Lok Janshakti Party, told reporters on the sidelines of National Executive of his party's farmer cell.
He welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent announcement of 50 per cent profit to the notified crop produce.
"(A) Policy decision has been taken to double farmers' income and MSP of 1.5 times (the input cost). A committee is working on it (price fixation)," said Paswan, but refused to divulge much about the formula to be used to fix the MSP.
To a query on anticipated impact of higher MSP on inflation, he asked why only this issue was being raised when there was silence on the rising prices of other commodities.
"Is there anything that has not become costly? Be it cars or houses. However, the crop prices have been stagnant in last five years," he said, adding that the government will take care of the expenditure on higher MSP.
Paswan also said that the government was "aware" of the delay in paying claims under crop insurance schemes by private insurance companies.
"We are alert this time," he said.
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Goa nightclub fire: Co-owner Ajay Gupta's police remand extended by four days
Panaji (PTI): A Goa court on Thursday extended by four days the police remand of Ajay Gupta, co-owner of Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub, where a devastating fire on December 6 killed 25 persons.
Gupta was arrested from New Delhi on December 10. A court in Mapusa had remanded him in police custody for seven days at the time.
Gupta was presented before the lower court, which sent him to four-day police custody as his initial remand was expiring, his advocate Rohan Desai told reporters.
"Gupta had complained about back pain. The court ordered his medical examination, after which he was allowed use of a mattress in custody. He was examined by a specialised doctor at Goa Medical College and Hospital near here," the lawyer said.
Twenty-five persons, including 20 staff members and five tourists, were killed in the major blaze at the nightclub at Arpora in North Goa around midnight of December 6.
Gupta had, during the day, filed an bail application.
So far, eight persons have been arrested in connection with the case, including Gupta, and two other owners - Gaurav Luthra and his brother Saurabh - who were deported from Thailand.
Five other staffers of the nightclub arrested in the case are Rajiv Modak (Corporate General Manager), Priyanshu Thakur (Gate Manager), Rajveer Singhania (Bar Manager), Vivek Singh (General Manager) and Bharat Karan Singh Kohli (employee).
A Look Out Circular (LOC) has been issued against Surinder Kumar Khosla, another owner of the nightclub who is a British citizen, police said.
