The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : MSP: farmers’ wings for State-wide road blockade

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Saturday, Jun 14, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

MSP: farmers’ wings for State-wide road blockade

Special Correspondent

Delegation to submit memorandum to Chief Minister

-Photo: Mohd. Yousuf

In protest: Farmers’ wings of all Opposition parties at a meeting to demand MSP hike in paddy from Rs. 850 to Rs. 1,000 in Hyderabad on Friday.

HYDERABAD: The farmers’ wings of all Opposition parties will organise blockade of roads across the State from 11 a.m. to noon on June 19 demanding a Minimum Support Price of Rs. 1,000 a quintal for paddy.

Demonstration

The demonstration was finalised by leaders of the organisations at a meeting convened by Andhra Pradesh Rythu Sangham, affiliated to CPI, at the Makhdoom Bhavan on Friday.

It was attended, among others, by C. Muthyam Reddy (TDP), P. Sugunakar Rao (BJP), Surender Reddy (TRS) and Prabhakar Reddy (Federation of Farmers Organisations).

The Rythu Sangham State president K. Ramakrishna told reporters on the occasion that a delegation will submit a memorandum to Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy demanding MSP of Rs. 1,000 on Saturday.

All party meetings in the districts to intensify the stir would be held on June 15.

He said the decision of the Central government to restrict the MSP for paddy to Rs. 850 a quintal went against the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) and the farmers’ commission headed by M.S. Swaminathan.

While the CACP recommended Rs. 1,000 after an extensive nationwide survey, Dr. Swaminathan suggested a price in excess of the cost of production by 50 per cent.

He said the MSP of Rs. 1,000 was justified as the cost of cultivation of paddy had gone up due to 40 to 60 per cent hike in prices of urea, seed and pesticide, 30 to 50 per cent increase in labour charges and Rs.3 to 4 increase in cost of diesel a litre.

Moreover, the State Assembly had adopted a resolution appealing to the Centre to announce an MSP of Rs. 1,080 a quintal.

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