Increase MSP on paddy to Rs 3000: Cong demand to Centre

The Congress today dubbed both the Narendra Modi government and the BJD regime in Odisha as anti-farmer and asked the Centre to hike Minimum Support Price (MSP) on paddy to Rs 3000 per quintal.
State Congress president Prasad Harichandan said the BJD government failed to provide bonus to the farmers though the state has enough resources to mitigate their plight.
"The way Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik are neglecting the peasants proves that both are following anti-farmer policies," Harichandan told reporters here.
Odisha farmers have been hit by calamities such as drought, pest attack and unseasonal rain during kharif season.

Asking both the Centre and Odisha government to waive farm loans, the PCC chief said the Centre should hike MSP on paddy to Rs 3,000 while the state government must give bonus to the farmers over and above the MSP.
The state government had demanded Rs 2930 as the MSP per quintal of paddy, but the Centre announced Rs 1550 for it.
Though the chief minister had promised to provide additional assistance of Rs 100 over the MSP on paddy two years ago, it was yet to be translated into action, he said.
Noting that the the previous UPA government had raised the MSP on paddy to Rs 1410 per quintal from Rs 550 in 2014, Harichandan said the NDA government has increased the MSP only by Rs 140 during the last four years.