The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : No sale permit for millers who refuse MSP to farmers

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, May 03, 2011
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

No sale permit for millers who refuse MSP to farmers

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: The government has decided not to permit rice millers to sell rice to Food Corporation of India (FCI) under the present levy policy if they fail to pay stipulated minimum support price to the farmers on procurement of their rabi paddy.

It will not also allow such millers to undertake rice sales within the State or outside as punishment for non-payment of MSP.

Disclosing this to reporters here on Monday, Civil Supplies Minister D. Sridhar Babu said once the sales were stopped thus, the miller would not be able to survive in the business.

He said vigilance teams had been deployed at the district and mandal levels to keep a watch on the millers and bring to the government's notice any attempt by them to refuse the MSP. Joint Collectors would take action against them immediately.

Mr. Sridhar Babu said payment of the MSP at Rs 1,030 per quintal for “A” grade paddy and Rs 1,000 for other varieties, was mandatory on the part of the purchase centres opened by the millers, Indira Kranti Pathakam self-help groups of women, FCI and Civil Supplies Corporation.

He said Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy would insist on the Centre conceding the State's plea to allow rice exports, at the meeting with Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee during his visit to New Delhi on May 6 and 7.

Scope for export

There was scope to export 40 lakh tonnes of rice and create as much godown space for rabi arrivals. The quota for export would, however, be decided by striking a balance between the MSP offered to the farmer and the end price at which the consumer would buy rice in the market.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh