SKM terms budget 'anti-farmer', asks farmers to prepare for 'massive struggle' for MSP
New Delhi, Feb 1: Alleging the Union Budget for 2022-23 has shown the government does not care about farmers' welfare, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha on Tuesday called on farmers to prepare for another "massive struggle" over minimum support price and other issues.
The umbrella body of farm unions, that spearheaded protests against the Centre's now-repealed agri laws, claimed there has been a reduction in the share of agriculture and allied activities in the Budget to 3.8 per cent from 4.3 per cent last time.
It claimed the government wants to "punish" the farmers for their successful over a year-long demonstration at Delhi's borders that were withdrawn after the contentious farm laws were rescinded in Parliament last year.
"On the whole, this Budget has shown the government does not care about the welfare of farmers despite the 'jumla' (rhetoric) of adding 'Farmers Welfare' to the name of its Ministry.
"It is as if the government, smarting under its defeat on the three anti-farmer laws, is out to take revenge on the farmer community," the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) said in a statement.
It pointed out that the government has not established the committee on MSP even after 50 days of its written promise.
"While the farmers are demanding MSP guarantee for all crops, the Budget speech mentioned only procurement for paddy and wheat from 1.63 crore farmers which form about 10 per cent of all farmers in the country."
"The SKM denounces this anti-farmer budget and calls upon the farmers of the country to prepare for another massive struggle for the minimum support price and other burning issues," the statement said.
Accusing the government of "stalling" the demand for legal guarantee of MSP, it said, "The least expected by the farmers is the government will make sufficient budget allocations to implement MSP."
On Monday too, the SKM threatened to resume its agitation if the government does not fulfil promises made to farmers in December last year.
Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh camped at Delhi's borders for over a year demanding the repeal of the Centre's three contentious farm laws.
They decided to suspend their protest, on December 9 last year after the government gave in to their main demand and agreed to consider six others, including a legal guarantee on MSP.
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Thumbay Group begins work on Sharjah’s first private integrated psychiatric, rehabilitation hospital
Sharjah: Thumbay Group has laid the foundation stone for the Thumbay Psychiatric and Rehabilitation Hospital at Sharjah Healthcare City, a 120-bed facility that the company says will be the region’s first private, fully integrated hospital dedicated to psychiatric care, neuro-rehabilitation and addiction recovery.
The groundbreaking ceremony was led by Dr. Abdelaziz Saeed Al Mheiri, who is also a member of the Sharjah Executive Council, in the presence of Dr. Thumbay Moideen.
Spread across 110,000 square feet, the hospital is being developed to address growing demand for specialised mental health and rehabilitation services in the UAE and the wider Gulf region.
The facility will include inpatient and outpatient services in psychiatry, neuro-rehabilitation, addiction treatment, child and adolescent mental health, and care for mood and anxiety disorders. It will also feature VIP inpatient villas designed to provide privacy and support long-term recovery.
A mosque, named the Thumbay Masjid, will be constructed within the campus and will be open to the public.
The hospital is being designed to meet standards for Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), an internationally recognised accreditation system for rehabilitation facilities.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Abdelaziz Saeed Al Mheiri said the project reflects Sharjah’s commitment to strengthening healthcare infrastructure in all aspects of wellbeing.
“Mental health and rehabilitation have long needed dedicated infrastructure, and we are proud to support a private partner whose vision matches the ambition of this Emirate,” he said.
Dr. Thumbay Moideen said the project was a response to a growing need for specialised mental healthcare services in the region.
“We have spent over three decades building healthcare in this region, and the one conversation that has grown louder every year is mental health. Families have been carrying this quietly for too long. This hospital is our answer. It is purpose-built, not retrofitted, and it has been designed around dignity, recovery, and outcomes that families can trust,” he said.
Construction is scheduled to begin in June 2026, and the hospital is expected to become operational by mid-2027.
Once completed, the facility will become part of Thumbay Group’s network of healthcare, education and diagnostic institutions across the UAE.
