Bharat Ratna long overdue for MS Swaminathan, says Niranjan Reddy

Accompanied by State Secretary for Agriculture, M Raghunandan Rao and State Seed Development Corporation Managing Director K Keshavulu, he attended the funeral of the renowned agriculture scientist on behalf of the State government and paid his respects at Taramani in Chennai.

Hyderabad: Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy said MS Swaminathan, the father of the Green Revolution in India deserved the honour of the Bharat Ratna.

Accompanied by State Secretary for Agriculture, M Raghunandan Rao and State Seed Development Corporation Managing Director K Keshavulu, he attended the funeral of the renowned agriculture scientist on behalf of the State government and paid his respects at Taramani in Chennai.

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He said the Bharat Ratna was long overdue for Swaminathan and that it could be conferred posthumously on him in recognition of his great services. The man who was shocked to see lakhs of people on the verge of starvation in the country had left medical education to take up agriculture science and as a researcher he could influence the lives of people world over.

The Commission formed under his chairmanship had made various recommendations including remunerative prices for the farmers. But his recommendations were not implemented either by the Congress government or the BJP government at the Centre. He could enhance the reputation of the country with his contributions to agriculture sector, Niranjan Reddy said.

Swaminathan, who could not fulfill his wish to visit Telangana to see the agricultural progress here, was a man with great vision, he said, adding that it was unfortunate that Swaminathan’s recommendations were not implemented fully by the Centre.