Guntur: CPI demands ` 8,000 MSP for turmeric

Guntur: CPI State assistant secretary Muppalla Nageswara Rao demanded that the state and Central governments announce a special package of Rs 10,000 to the poor and middle class people who lost livelihood due to lockdown.

Addressing the media at Mallaiahlingam Bhavan here on Thursday, he criticized that Markfed is purchasing bengal gram, maize and jowar nominally. He recalled that Markfed had purchased 2800 metric tonnes of maize, 6500 metric tonnes of jowar, 4000 metric tonnes of bengal gram and 2300 metric tonnes of red gram.

Stating that the government had fixed MSP for turmeric at Rs 6,850 per quintal, he demanded Rs 8,000 per quintal. He said that the farmers suffered heavy crop loss due to recent unseasonal rain in the district and urged the government to purchase red chillis in other agriculture market yards in the backdrop of closure of Guntur Mirchi Yard. He demanded that the government suspend biometric for ration owing to Coronavirus threat.

He thanked the government for sending migrated agriculture workers stuck due to lockdown in the district to their native districts. CPI Guntur district secretary Jangala Ajay Kumar was also present.