Gadwal: Congress demands better MSP for paddy

Gadwal: Congress leaders staged a protest in front of the Collectorate in Gadwal on Thursday, demanding the State government to provide minimum support price of Rs 2,500 per quintal for Sona masuri paddy crop. They submitted a representation to the senior officials at the collectorate.

Congress in-charge DK Samarasimha Reddy said that farmers were badly hit due to the heavy rains and faced crop loss over thousands of acres. However, the TRS government has not even recorded crop loss and not paid a single rupee as compensation to the farmers, he alleged. He demanded that the government must purchase colored and damaged paddy.

Party leaders and activists organised similar protest in Wanaparthy, Gadwal, Nagarkurnool and Narayanpet districts. In Wanaparthy district, former Minister and AICC secretary Chinna Reddy inspected damaged crops in Srirangapur mandal under Rangasamudram balancing reservoir. During heavy rains recently, the gates were raised causing heavy floods and

damaging large extent of paddy and cotton crops under the reservoir. Chinna Reddy

demanded the government to immediately pay compensation or else they will launch a

massive protest.

In Mahabubnagar district, Congress district president Obedulla Kothwal took against the TRS government's unilateral decision of imposing regulatory farming and when the farmers have followed the government hoping good returns, it is going back on its promise to provide better MSP and shifting the blame on the Central government. He demanded the government to immediately come to the rescue of farmers and buy all the agriculture produce at better MSP.