The Hindu : New Delhi News : Farmers hit by Centre’s policies, says BJP

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 24, 2007
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New Delhi

New Delhi

Farmers hit by Centre’s policies, says BJP

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party has criticised the United Progressive Alliance government and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar for policies that had adversely affected farmers in the rural areas and consumers in urban centres.

Its spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said here that the recent ban on the export of non-basmati rice would hurt growers. He said Rs. 200-crore worth rice was lying in docks for export. These stocks would now make their way back into the domestic market and send prices crashing.

Mr. Javadekar took exception to Mr. Pawar blaming the National Democratic Alliance government for the crisis. “How could he blame the NDA for the deteriorating wheat situation created by the UPA?”

Mr. Javadekar said under the NDA regime wheat procurement for the buffer stock and for the public distribution system (PDS) ranged from 12.65 million tonnes in 1998-99 to 16.80 million tonnes in 2004-05 with the procurement in 2001-02 touching a record 20.63 million tonnes. Against this, during the UPA regime the procurement was 14.79 million tonnes in 2005-06 .

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