BJD terms Centre's decision to hike MSP for paddy by Rs 200 as

The ruling Biju Janata Dal in Odisha today termed the Centre's decision to hike the minimum support price for paddy by Rs 200 per quintal as "inadequate".

BJD spokesman P K Deb also strongly criticised the Centre for only Rs 200 per quintal hike on paddy.

The Odisha Assembly had earlier passed an unanimous resolution seeking Rs 2930 as the MSP for paddy, he said.

"The Centre has fixed Rs 1166 as the cost of production of one quintal of paddy while the actual cost is much more," Deb said adding that the party will take up the matter to the farmers.

The Centre today hiked price paid to farmers for paddy by Rs 200 per quintal and by up to 52 per cent in other summer-sown crops.

The new MSP for paddy will now be Rs 1750 per quintal from Rs 1550 per quintal. Similarly MSP for other grains have also been increased.

Stating that MSP announced for paddy is "not remunerative", Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Niranjan Patnaik said this is a "betrayal" to farmers though Prime Minister Narendra Modi has earlier announced to hike the support price by one-and-a-half times of the production cost for Kharif crops.

"The BJP government has not given proper attention to the input cost of agri produce," Patnaik said.

Odisha unit of Samajwadi Party also stongly objected to increase of only Rs 200 as MSP for paddy.

"Before coming to power BJP had promised to implement Swaminathan Commission report which has recommended 1.5 times rising input cost for Agri product. Mere hike of Rs 200 per quintal of paddy is just like giving alms to the beggars rather than giving the remunerative price to the farmers," party's state unit president Rabi Behera said.

Meanwhile, the state unit of BJP welcomed the Centre's new MSP for food products including paddy. "The decision to raise the MSP of Paddy by Rs 200 per quintal is historic. No government had ever announced such a hike," BJP state president Samir Mohanty said.

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan claimed that the Prime Minister has fulfilled his promises made to farmers. He claimed that the MSP for paddy is now above one-and-half times than the cost of production.

Asked about the rival parties criticism, Pradhan said: "They are shedding crocodile tears. No government in the past had taken such a historic step," Pradhan said.