Curbs on import of farm items sought

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, OCT. 14. The Andhra Pradesh Rythu Sangham of the CPI(M) at a State-level convention here on Saturday on ``Liberalised economic policies - ill-effects on agriculture,'' demanded imposition of some restrictions on import of agriculture items, including levying of a tariff, to protect the farmers here.

The resolutions adopted, covering this and other demands, were also approved by a number of other rythu sanghams and agriculture labour unions affiliated to other Left parties. The meeting flayed the Government of India for placing orders for import of agriculture items such as sugar, jute and milk powder while the same commodities faced a glut here. It said the Government was pursuing this policy of being ``subservient'' to the World Bank, the World Trade Organisation and the IMF. The native farmer was affected by the influx of foreign agriculture produce as he was not able to offer competition in terms of price. He was selling milk at Rs. 13 per litre while the milk made out of imported milk-powder was available at Rs. 6 per litre.

The resolutions were adopted after speeches made by Mr. S. Ramachandran Pillai, MP and president, All-India Kisan Sabha, Mr. Y. V. Krishna Rao, honorary president, and Prof. D. Narasimha Reddy of the University of Hyderabad. A large number of communist leaders, including Mr. Koratala Satyanarayana, CPI(M) Central Committee member, were among the gathering.

Mr. Ramachandran Pillai congratulated the people of Andhra Pradesh for resisting the electricity tariff hike and called upon them to continue the struggle against the anti-people policies pursued by the Centre and the State under the ``dictates'' of the World Bank, culminating in the `Chalo Delhi' rally being organised by his Kisan Sabha. He alleged that these world institutions, ``which were hand-in-glove with the multinational companies (MNC)'' were out to create ``an artificial food shortage'' in the country for their own profit.

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Section  : Southern States
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