Prathipati assures MSP for chilli, tobacco farmers

​Guntur: Agriculture Minister Prathipati Pulla Rao on Saturday assured that the government will take all the steps to get minimum support price (MSP) for chilli and tobacco farmers.

Addressing a press conference at the R&B Guest House in Guntur city, he said that he had already explained about falling of chilli prices to Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and requested him to take steps to purchase chilli stocks through Markfed to ensure a better price to the farmers.

The Minister said he reviewed on chilli and tobacco prices with the officials. He said the government will do justice to the farmers.

He pointed out that the TDP government took the initiative to provide a bonus to the tobacco farmers to extend a helping hand to them.

He said that the government clamped P D Act against seed traders who sold fake seeds and cheated the farmers. He said the previous Congress government gave licenses to the traders who sold fake seeds.

He wondered why the Congress government during the last 10 years failed to take any steps to clamp PD Act against the traders who were involved in selling fake seeds.

He said that voters were supporting the BJP government at the Centre. Following the note ban, voters reposed faith in Prime Minister Modi. This has been proved with the BJP victory in Uttar Pradesh, he said.

He said that YSRCP leaders have no moral right to criticise TDP national general secretary Nara Lokesh.
Agriculture Marketing Commissioner P Mallikarjuna Rao was also present.