BJP demands MSP for paddy on a par with wheat

Hyderabad, Oct 13 (UNI) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National Secretary N Indrasena Reddy today asked the Union Government to announce the Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for paddy on a par with wheat for the benefit of lakhs of farmers in the Andhra Pradesh.

Addressing a press conference here, he alleged that the State government had totally failed to exert pressure on the Union Government to achieve remunerative MSP for the paddy on a par with wheat.

He took great exception to State Agriculture Minister N Raghuveera Reddy's statement that the MSP for paddy had been increased by Rs 220 during the last three years of the Congress Government in the state.

While giving the figures of the MSP for the last three years, he said the increase was only Rs 95. The present MSP for paddy was Rs 645 as against Rs 560 during 2004-05, he added.

He asked the paddy producing farmers not to sell their produce, if they do not get Rs 1000 MSP which the Union Government had announced for the wheat.

He also demanded loans for the farmers from the banks by pledging their paddy.

UNI