Karnataka - Raichur   

Paddy growers seek higher price for produce

Protest: Members of the Pakshateeta Raithara Horata Samiti staging a dharna in Raichur on Friday.

Raichur: Members of the Pakshateeta Raithara Horata Samiti, a forum of farmers and politicians in the district, took out a rally and staged a dharna here on Friday demanding that the Union Government enhance the minimum support price for paddy to Rs. 1,000 a quintal.

A group of about 5,000 farmers from the district and some parts of Andhra Pradesh, led by Raichur MP A. Venkatesh Naik, took out a procession from Rajendra Gunj Circle to the Deputy Commissioner’s office. After staging a dharna for some time, they submitted a memorandum to Deputy Commissioner J. Ravishankar urging Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to address the issue.

In the memorandum, they also demanded that the Centre simplify the rules governing procurement of paddy from farmers and enhance the minimum support price on other agricultural produce.

Earlier, leaders of various political parties convened a meeting at the Raitha Bhavan near the APMC yard here to discuss problems faced by farmers of the southern States.

Mr. Venkatesh Naik, Koppal MP K. Veerupakshappa, the former MP from Andhra Pradesh Yalemancheli Shivaji, the former Minister A. Amareshwara Naik, and N.S. Bose Raju (Manvi), A. Papa Reddy (Raichur), Hampangouda Badarli (Sindhanur) and Amaregouda Bayyapur (Lingsugur), MLAs, who participated in the meeting, criticised the Union Government for what they termed bias against farmers in the region.

They expressed regret that the Union Government had failed to help them get better prices for their produce.

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