Marketing & Irrigation Minister, T Harish Rao today criticized the Centre’s statement on chilli purchase and MSP was a Millenium joke.
He expressed displeasure at the Centre for announcing to offer only Rs 5000 per quintal and to procure only 33,000 quintals of fine quality chilli from Telangana markets. “We have appealed for Rs 7000 MSP and to procure all the produce of 7 lakh metric tons chilli in the State of Telangana though the Centre failed to act positively, he said.
Speaking to reporters he said that the Centre miserably failed to extend a helping hand to the state farmers seeking MSP and procure all the produce. He expressed displeasure at the Centre for its statement to offer Rs 5000 per quintal chilli, to procure only 33000 quintals with quality. The state government has already written letters to the Centre and Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh seeking him to procure all 7 lakh metric tons of chilli with MSP of Rs 7000 per quintal from the state.
“Though we sought the Centre is not coming to our rescue only to compound the problem”, he fumed. He also flayed that the Centre is putting unnecessary hurdles for procuring only fine quality chilli and sought to know about procurement of poor quality chilli. Despite our repeated pleas the Centre came up with some riders including to procure only a part of the produce and low MSP he charged. The Centre did not give a single paise to the state or chilli farmers though it is to decide MSP for commercial crops like chilli, turmeric and others. We will write again a letter with all details to the Centre to procure total quantity of the chilli and offer an MSP that will help the distressed farmers, Harish Rao said. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is for the cause of the farmers and will take necessary measures, he added (NSS)