Rythu Samkshema Samithi (RSS) has demanded that the State government see that cotton farmers get remunerative price for their produce.
Speaking to the media here on Monday, RSS chairman Justice B Chandra Kumar alleged that though the Centre fixed minimum support price at Rs 4,100, but the farmers were not getting the MSP anywhere. He also alleged that there were large scale irregularities in cotton purchase and opined that the MSP fixed by the Centre was far below the production cost.
He said the farmers were investing Rs.6000 per quintal cotton and it was found by the RSS in field study and the reasons were the increased prices of pesticides, fertilizers and labor charges. In this backdrop, the farmers were incurring losses due to less price they are getting to the cotton. He said that the government delayed in opening the CCI purchasing centers. The CCI was fixing low prices to the cotton stating that the quality was poor. The CCI was not applying scientific techniques in measuring the quality. In the markets the rule of conducting the auction by the Estate Officers were not following. The auction process was conducting Adithidars along with businessmen. The market officials were not implementing the rule of giving ‘Thhat Patties’. They were writing the bills on simple white paper. There were no sheds in the markets to protect the cotton from unseasonal rains. The best example was the paddy was soaked in Warangal Enumamula Market Yard, he said and demanded the state and central governments to initiate steps to control the market irregularities and to see that the farmers get MSP.
He further said that the essential goods prices were sky rocketing these days. The prices of Pulses, oil reached record level. The Tur Dal price reached to Rs.200, the remaining Dals prices too reached to Rs.140 per kilo. The people were not in a position to celebrate the festivals in happy mood due to increased prices of essential goods. He urged the government to initiate steps to settle the situation at the earliest. The farmers were suffering from lack of MSP but the prices of essential goods were sky rocketing on the other hand and it reflecting as how much strong the brokers were in the system. He said that the brokers were strong because the government announced MSP to 25 crops but it was purchasing only two crops. It was painful that the government has no control over essential goods prices and it seems the government was colluded with the brokers. He demanded the government to start the pulses selling shops immediately to sell them on subsidy prices.
RSS honorary president Solipeta Ramachandra Reddy, vice president Ninala Goverdhan and general secretary Aravind Kumar Kolli also spoke. (NSS)