CM writes to PM on MSP for paddy

Vijayawada, Oct 22 (UNI) Senior Congress leaders and APCC official spokesman Paladagu Venkata Rao today said Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy has written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar seeking enhancement of Minimum Support Price (MSP) for paddy in the state.

Addressing a press conference here, he said the MSP announced by the Centre for paddy was not 'sufficient' as against the MSP of wheat. The paddy farmers would be benefitted only if there was a hike in the MSP.

He said the Chief Ministers and MPs of West Bengal, Orissa, Punjab and Haryana should also mount pressure on the Centre to hike the MSP for paddy. A delegation of MPs from these states should go to Delhi and meet Prime Minister, Planning Commission, Ministers for Agriculture and Finance to sort out the support price issue, he added.

The former Civil Supplies Minister criticised the political parties in the State for making allegations against the Chief Minister saying that he was not taking initiative to solve this issue.

UNI