Minister Somireddy slams Centre for meagre hike in Minimum Support Price

Minister Somireddy slams Centre for meagre hike in Minimum Support Price
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Agriculture minister Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy remarked that the minimum support price MSP announced by the Union government was very meagre when compared to price proposed by the state government

Nellore: Agriculture minister Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy remarked that the minimum support price (MSP) announced by the Union government was very meagre when compared to price proposed by the state government. Addressing media here on Thursday, he questioned why Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan had not asked the Centre for providing the same MSP to farmers in Andhra Pradesh.

The minister while lambasting the Centre said that it had not considered proposals of Swaminathan Commission while fixing the MSP. Somireddy also said even as the state government had proposed Rs 2,823 for common variety of paddy per quintal, the Centre announced only Rs 1,750. When they requested for Rs 3,472 per quintal for A-Grade variety, the Centre announced 1,770, he said.

The Centre had announced Rs 2,430 for jowar when the state proposed Rs 2,939. Stating that the same trend continued in all crops, the agriculture minister said the Centre had not announced even the same MSP to any crop for redeeming farmers in the state from debt-ridden situation.

Though the Centre had not supported in procurement of paddy and chilli, the state government had purchased the crop from farmers directly, he said. He also alleged that the Centre had not procured even a single tonne of crop though it had announced MSP.

The minister said Opposition leader Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, BJP leader Kanna Lakshminarayana and Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan were unnecessarily making comments against the state government without knowing the real facts.

“If the Union government is really interested in welfare of farmers, it should purchase 60 per cent of the crops in the state according to MSP they announced, and the AP government is ready to procure 40 per cent of the crops as per the procedure,” said the minister. He also questioned that why Pawan Kalyan has been keeping mum on the issue of MSP announced by the Centre.

He said the TDP had opposed attack on BJP state president Kanna Lakshminarayana and questioned why the BJP leaders have beaten up the person in the presence of police personnel when there is a system to look after such things.

What message they want to send to common man with this attack even as people were getting irritated with the acts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asked Somireddy.

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