Higher support price for paddy demanded

The Congress party in Karnataka has demanded the Centre to fix higher minimum support price (MSP) for procurement of paddy. The Centre had recently announced raising the MSP for paddy to Rs 1,000 a quintal from Rs 850 per quintal for 2008-09 season but may announce bonus if required, during procurement.

Participating in meet the press programme organised by Bangalore Reporters Guild and Press Club of Bangalore here on Tuesday, new KPCC president R V Deshpande, said the Centre recently increased the per quintal procurement price of 20 agricultural commodities including paddy.

“In view of the declining profitability of agriculture, increasing risk, degradation of natural resources steep fall in technological innovation in agriculture has created crisis among the paddy farmers,” he added.

The party has urged prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh to grant adequate bonus to current procurement price to paddy as well.

Deshpande later spoke about his party’s preparation to face the forthcoming by-elections to eight assembly constituencies and the Lok Sabha, said, “Polls will determine the future of state politics. The party is aiming at all eight constituencies and it would result in the fall of the BJP government in the state.”

“Currently, I am making efforts to bring in all old Congress men back to party fold and make efforts with Congress workers to forget their differences and help him to bring the party back to power,” he added.

Accusing the BJP government, KPCC president said, “There are no achievements by the BJP government in the last four months. It only rained assurances on people.”

He further said that BJP which is ruling the state was a curse to the people of Karnataka.

“The party is just talking and slowly implementing its hidden agenda through its frontal organisations such as Bajrang Dal, Hindu Sene and Sri Rama Sena,” he claimed and said the communal harmony has been disturbed in the state.

He remained noncommittal when asked whether the Congress will have tie up with secular parties, including former Prime Minister H D Devegowda’s Janata Dal Secular (JDS), to fight the coming by-elections.