The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Governments plunging farm sector into crisis: CPI(M)

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Sunday, Nov 18, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Governments plunging farm sector into crisis: CPI(M)

HYDERABAD: CPI (Marxist) State secretary B.V. Raghavulu has criticised the State and Central Governments for plunging the farm sector into crisis by not enhancing the minimum support price for their produce.

Mr. Raghavulu, who called on the members of all-party farmers’ associations at the relay hunger strike site, which entered the fifth day on Saturday, said despite its claims on providing remunerative prices, the State Government had failed to come to the rescue of farmers. Though the National Commission on Farmers headed by M.S. Swaminathan had clarified the need for enhancing the MSP for different crops, no steps had been initiated in this direction so far, he alleged.

The steps being taken by the Government were resulting in steep decline in the agricultural produce, he said adding the CPI (M) would support the agitation launched in the interests of farmers.

Comparison

Bharatiya Janata Party legislator G. Kishan Reddy recalled that developed countries like the United States were providing subsidy ranging from 25 per cent to 80 per cent to farmers and smaller countries like Bangladesh too were giving more subsidies when compared to India where subsidy was pegged at only 2.7 per cent.

He demanded that the State Government announce concrete measures for enhancing MSP rather than delaying the issue in the name of Central consideration.

Balladeer Gadar and others also called on the agitating leaders.

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