Andhra Pradesh

UNPA to stage nation-wide agitation on MSP: Naidu

N.Chandrababu Naidu

KHAMMAM: The United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) will organise a nation-wide agitation demanding hike in the minimum support price of paddy, according to UNPA convenor and TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday.

Addressing a news conference here, he said the UNPA would organise peasant rallies at four or five places in the country to demand a fair deal to farmers in fixing prices for their produce.

The issue of MSP for paddy, wheat and other food grains would be raised in Parliament in the ensuing session.

Mr. Naidu demanded implementation of the Swaminathan Committee recommendations. He said that the UNPA had invited the Left parties to support the fight for the cause of the peasant community, particularly on the MSP issue. The UNPA leaders had met Prakash Karat, CPI (M) general secretary, and A.B. Bardhan, CPI general secretary, in New Delhi and they had responded positively.

He said that the UNPA would take up a massive exercise all over the country to mobilise public opinion on issues pertaining to farmers.

He said that fair prices for agricultural produce would bail out the farmers, who were still in the grip of a severe crisis. Farmers would be able to get a remunerative price if paddy of A grade was offered Rs.1,470 per quintal. He wanted the MSP for maize to be Rs.1,370, Rs. 4,300 for cotton, Rs.3,700 for groundnut, Rs.1,800 for sugar cane and Rs.1,600 to Rs.2,000 for wheat.

There was substantial increase in revenues of the government, which had touched Rs 3 lakh crores. The government should continue subsidies to the farm sector, he said.

If the peasant community was subjected to neglect, if would have a bearing on the economy and pose a threat to food security too. The buffer stocks of food grains had already come down from 63 lakh tonnes to 23 lakh tonnes. He pointed said that the scarcity of fertilizer had affected the farmers in a big way.

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