Rise in MSP not adequate: Shabbir Ali

Hyderabad, June 19 (INN): Leader of Opposition in Telangana Legislative Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir has strongly criticised the BJP-led NDA Government for not increasing the Minimum Support Prices for Khariff Crops for 2015-16 season in a proper way.

Addressing a press conference at Congress Legislature Party office here on Friday, Shabbir Ali said that the Centre has only completed a formality of increasing the MSP of major crops two days ago. While the MSP for paddy has been increased by Rs. 50, the hike was just Rs. 40 for Jowar, Rs 25. for Bajra and Rs. 15 for Maize. He said that the nominal increase would not help the farmers in any manner. Due to the wrong policies of BJP Government at the Centre and TRS Government in Telangana, the farmers, especially those growing paddy, were badly hit. The government did not take into consideration the inflation and rise in input cost while fixing the MSP for paddy. He demanded that the either the Centre revise MSP or TRS Government pay Rs. 500 per quintal bonus to the farmers.

Shabbir Ali alleged that the Centre and State were implementing a secret conspiracy to destabilise the agriculture sector. By neglecting the farm sector in the last two seasons, both the governments have ensured that the total sown area and production of major crops like paddy decrease by almost 30%. Continuous losses would make the farmers feel that agriculture was not a profitable business. The drop in production of major crops would also enable the government to import certain commodities. By doing so, the government could help a few corporate houses, which have funded them during elections.

The Congress leader alleged that Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao was also implementing the Centre's secret agenda in Telangana State. He said KCR did not convene a single meeting to assess the losses suffered by farmers in the last two seasons. Farmers were forced to drop the paddy crops in last Rabi season in view of energy crisis. For this Khariff season, no plan or even contingency was declared by the government. The State Government is yet to implement the crop loan waiver scheme as the government did not clear one third of crops loan taken by the farmers. The farmers have got enslaved for the next four years, till their loan amount is cleared. The TRS Government should take immediate steps to prevent farmers from suffering losses for the third consecutive season.