Nitish accuses Modi govt of not fulfilling promise to farmers

Banka (Bihar), Nov 20: Senior JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar today accused Narendra Modi government of "going back" on its poll promise to hike minimum support price of rice one- and-a-half times of input cost and warning states not to announce bonus.

Reminding people of Modi's promise on increasing MSP to the level of one-and-a-half times by playing audio tape of his speech, Kumar exhorted them to ask BJP leaders "what happened to the promise?"

Kumar, who was addressing JD(U) workers as part of his "Sampark Yatra", flagged a letter send by the Union Ministry of Food and Consumer Affairs warning states against announcing bonus in addition to MSP.

He read out from the letter written to states in June this year saying that announcement of bonus in addition to MSP has negative impact on market and puts private traders into difficulties.

Kumar further quoted from the letter that it warned states announcing bonus that in such condition the Centre would limit its procurement of grains through Food Corporation of India (FCI) during both Rabi and Kharif season 2014-15.

"In such condition (announcement of bonus) the responsibility will be on the state governments to deal with surplus grains acquired," he quoted from the letter to highlight "anti-farmers" approach of the BJP-led NDA government.

Kumar who is moving across the state since November 13 as part of "Sampark Yatra" has been hitting at the BJP government on issues like black money, MSP and not providing special status to the state as promised by the PM.

PTI