Hyderabad: Prashant Reddy slams Centre on fertiliser price hike

Hyderabad: State Minister V Prashant Reddy on Friday criticised the Centre for 'anti-farmer' policies. In a letter to the Centre he sought clarification on why the government was resorting to duping farmers.

Reddy slammed the Centre for the steep rise in prices of fertilizers which will burden the farming community across the country. While the State government was offering all support to farmers with 'Rythu Bandhu', crop loan waiver, 24-hour free power, the Centre dumped farmers with fertilizer price hike, he said. "We offered Rs 50,000 crore in seven years to farmers.

The minister lashed out at the Centre for its lopsided policies cheating farmers and people. He sought clarification as to why it increased manifold prices of fertilizers. He expressed concern that the government increased the prices from 50 percent to 100 percent. "It will prove costly for the farming community in the country; the Centre should roll back," he suggested.

Reddy sought clarification from the Centre to respond to the letter written by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on fertilizer price hike. "KCR also asked the Centre to rollback price it will burden farmers with Rs 20,000 crore additionally. "Farmers are put to difficulties by the Centre; it should stop adding to their woes", he said.

He expressed surprise as to why the government has been suppressing the farming community with anti-development policies. "The decision is not correct; the Centre has to protect interests of farmers", he added.