Khaira demands Rs 700 as paddy MSP

Kapurthala, Sept 19 (UNI) Bholath MLA and District Congress Committee President Sukhpal Singh Khaira has demanded Rs 700 per quintal as Minimum Support Price (MSP) of fine variety of paddy plus Rs 50 as bonus.

Addressing a press conference here today, Khaira urged the Centre to enhance the MSP to Rs 700 and also appealed the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to give rupees fifty per quintal as bonus to the farmers on the paddy as the inputs of the farmers have increased considerably.

Mr Khaira asked the Chief Minister to follow the policy of land acquisition as announced by Haryana Government to save the farmers of the state.

Haryana has recently announced to give royalty of Rs 10,000 per acre for thirty three years, 25 per cent jobs to the displaced farmers besides compensation and relief of rehabilitation to those farmers whose land would be acquired by public or private sector.

To save the farmers from the burden of debt, he advised the Chief Minister that fifty per cent of total debt of Rs 24,000 crores on the farmers should be waived off by the state government. He said that the Congress party would help the state government by approaching the Centre Government to waive the remaining fifty per cent.

UNI