Akali Dal (Longowal) to stage dharna before Parliament

Fatehgarh Sahib, Mar 1: Shiromani Akali Dal (Longowal) will stage a dharna before Parliament on March 10 to protest the importation of wheat and demand an increase in the minimum support price (MSP) of wheat.

Stating this here yesterday (Feb 28, 2006), party president and former MP, Prem Singh Chandumajra, said it would be a token dharna and only senior party activists would participate in the protest and later a memorandum would be submitted to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Mr Chandumajra said the decision to import five lakh tonne of wheat would adversely effect the country's farmers, as the imported wheat would reach India at a time when the farmers will be harvesting the crop here.

He said the MSP should be hiked to Rs 900 per quintal from the existing Rs 650 per quintal as the input costs on agriculture were very high.

UNI