Congress demands Rs 300 per quintal bonus for paddy farmers

The state congress committee on Thursday demanded a bonus of Rs 300 per quintal to the paddy farmers, over and above the minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 1,250 a quintal announced by the Centre.

“During our eight-day padayatra, we have found that due to erratic rains, delay in supply of seeds and increase in labour and fertliser prices, the cost of paddy production has grown by leaps and bounds. The state government should pay bonus of at least Rs 300 to the farmers before paddy procurement,” said Niranjan Patnaik, president, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee.

The Centre has fixed MSP of paddy at Rs 1,250 a quintal for 2012-13 kharif as against Rs 1,080 during kharif marketing season of 2011-12. For A-grade variety of paddy, the support price has been raised to Rs 1,280 per quintal from Rs 1,110.

If the government will not consider our demand of paying bonus to the farmers, we will launch a movement pressing for fufilment of our demand and take the matter to the streets.

Patnaik also reiterated his demand for CBI enquiry into all illegal mining activities in the state.

The top congress leader said that the state government is afraid of CBI enquiry into the mining scam while states like Andhra Pradesh, Goa and Karnataka have given the green signal to the investigating agency for such probe.

The Congress also took swipe on the hike in labour wages announced by the BJD government, terming it ‘eye wash and unrealistic’. The hike in wages is not in sync with the market rates and is just a publicity stunt, Patnaik said.

He also questioned the veracity of the pact signed by Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) with Sainik Mining which has been canceled lately.

It may be noted, Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) has scrapped the joint venture deal with Delhi-based Sainik Mining & Allied Services Ltd (SMASL) after the state controlled miner faced a barrage of criticism for conceding controlling stake in the joint venture to the private player in violation of Coal Mines (Nationalization) Act-1973.