The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : State drives ryots to desperation: BJP

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 27, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

State drives ryots to desperation: BJP

By Our Staff Reporter

NELLORE, MARCH 26. The former president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), M. Venkaiah Naidu, has expressed concern over the steep hike in prices of essential commodities and called for remedial steps by the Government.

Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, Mr. Venkaiah Naidu claimed that the previous National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government at the Centre had taken several steps to help farmers. These included assured minimum support price, comprehensive insurance policy, reduction in interest rates and construction of rural godowns. However, no such steps had been taken during the last 10 months causing hardship to farmers, he said.

Worrying trend

Mr. Naidu said the price of cotton per quintal fell from Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 1,900, soybean from Rs. 1,800 to Rs. 1,100 and paddy from Rs. 3,500 to Rs. 3,000 per putti. Though the price of sugar had gone up from Rs. 18 to Rs. 22, it had not brought any cheer to farmers, he claimed.

Mr. Naidu lashed out at the Government for reducing the budgetary allocation to agriculture from 18 per cent to 12 per cent and expressed anguish over the increasing number of suicide by farmers.

He claimed that in Andhra Pradesh alone during the last 10 months, more than 2,800 farmers had committed suicide, whereas in Maharashtra it was 512 farmers and in Karnataka, 612 farmers.

He asked agencies such as Markfed, the Food Corporation of India and the Tobacco Board to intervene immediately.

Patent Bill

Referring to the passage of the Patent Bill in Parliament, Mr. Naidu felt that there was a distinct possibility of drug prices going up by 10-20 times. He blamed the Left parties for supporting the Bill for political expediency.

He said the national council of the BJP would meet in New Delhi on April 5 and 6 to chalk out its future programme. The meet would coincide with the BJP completing 25 years of its formation.

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