YSRCP asks AP govt to check rising cost of essential items

Hyderabad: YSR Congress on Monday asked Andhra Pradesh Government to take measures to check the "spiralling cost" of essential commodities and ensure the minimum support price (MSP) to farmers for their produce.

The main opposition party also termed as "successful" the dharna (sit-in) programmes it organised across the state against the prices of essential items that have hit the roof.

"The dharna programme at all the constituency headquarters was a total success and we have submitted memorandum to Tehsildars in all the 13 districts demanding the government to take effective steps to check the rising prices of essential commodities and ensure that the farmers get MSP," party MLA G Srikanth Reddy said.

Reddy said the prices of red gram and black gram have shot up exorbitantly during the past two years and the government has failed to check the rise.

"As there is a deep gap between the supply and demand of red gram, the prices skyrocketed and the state remained a mute spectator without taking any effective steps.

"Though the price has increased manifold, middlemen are taking away the bulk of the profit and the farmer is always at the receiving end," a release quoted him as saying.

In Rayalseema region while the price of groundnut was Rs 3000 (per quintal) till the harvest and fell to Rs 1400 (per quintal) after the harvest, there was no action from the state and the middlemen have benefited, he said, adding that the state did not review the situation of spiralling prices of essential commodities nor did it make any arrangements to ensure the MSP to farmers.

"We demand that the government should release Rs 5000 crore towards MSP and Rs 1000 (crore) for market stabilisation to safeguard the farmers and consumers," the leader said.