Revised support price of agro-produce urged

Patna, May 3 (UNI) Bhartiya Kisan Sangh (BKS) today urged the Centre to fix the minimum support price of agriculture products, taking into consideration the rising costs of essentials.

BKS leader Amar Pratap Singh said the appalling situation could be gauged from the fact that since 1972, the government had increased the minimum support price of agro-products 10 times only, whereas prices of essential commodities including diesel, fertilisers and other items had increased 100 times.

''This yawning gap is constantly increasing and it will have disastrous effects on farmers if the Centre fails to take remedial measures in time,'' he added.

''We are ready to sell our agro-products at prices prevailing in 1972 if the government makes us available diesel and other ingredients on prices at the level prevailing in that year,'' he said.

''The agonies of the farmers have increased further with the poor supply of electricity forcing them to depend on diesel pumpsets for irrigation as rising prices of diesel was like rubbing salt on their wounds,'' he observed.

''Suggestions from the experts to decrease the minimum support price and increase the import of foodgrains as measures to contain the rising prices of essentials are not practical as it will aggravate the hardship of the farmers,'' Mr Singh said adding in such circumstances farmers would be forced to commit suicide.

UNI KKS ADG AM BST1904