Congress demands open government purchasing centres

KARIMNAGAR: The state government is not bothered about resolving farmers' grievances and is only concerned about the ensuing Huzurabad by-elections. Now that the harvesting season has begun, the government must open paddy procurement centres along with outlets to purchase maize through Markfed, demanded senior Congress leader and MLC T. Jeevan Reddy.

Accompanied by former MP Ponnam Pabhakar and Choppadandi in-charge Medipally Satyam, Reddy met additional collector Shyam Prasad Lal on Saturday and handed over a letter addressed to Chief Minister K.Chandrasekhar Rao. In the letter, the Congress leaders urged Rao to resolve issues of farmers in Karimnagar district.

Later speaking to the media, Jeevan Reddy alleged that instead of fixing MSP for agricultural products produced by the farming sector, the Union and state governments are imposing restrictions on procurement of paddy, boiled rice and other food grains.

The Centre announced MSP to maize at Rs 1,870 per quintal while private merchants fixed it at Rs 1,500 per quintal. With this the farmers will lose Rs 370 for every quintal of maize.