AP CM urges PM to enhance MSP for paddy

Hyderabad, Oct 8 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy today urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to enhance the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for paddy to Rs 1,000 per quintal with immediate effect.

In a letter to Dr Singh, a copy of which was released to the press here, Dr Reddy appreciated the Centre for enhancing the MSP for paddy to Rs 880 per quintal for Grade A variety and Rs 850 per quintal for common variety for the Kharif 2008-09.

Urging the Prime Minister to enhance the MSP for paddy on par with wheat, he said earlier the Centre had fixed Rs 1,000 as the MSP for wheat, per quintal.

''The production cost of paddy per quintal is more than that of wheat and there is no justification for keeping the MSP for paddy below that of wheat,'' he pointed out.

Maintaining that the CACP had recommended Rs 1,000 as the MSP for paddy per quintal for Kharif 2008, he said the recommendations, however, have not been acceded to by the Centre.

The Centre's inaction was leading to resentment among the farmers, he added.

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