How can trust the State to perform the duties of the FCI


The YSRC has requested the Central
government to reject the Shanta Kumar Committee report on the restructuring of
the Food Corporation of India (FCI), as its recommendations were against the
interests of the farming community in agrarian States like Andhra Pradesh,
Telangana and Chhattisgarh.

 

Party president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy
expressed concern over the recommendation that the Union government give the
task of procuring food grain from farmers to the respective State governments
instead of the FCI. “How can the Union government trust the State governments to
perform the duties of the FCI, which had been procuring up to 75 per cent of
the produce for the past 10 years?” he said. In a letter addressed to Prime
Minister Narendra Modi, Mr. Jagan said the State governments had neither the
financial resources nor the wherewithal to take over FCI operations. This was
evident from the fact that the AP and Telangana governments did not make any
allocation for market operations during the current financial year, he added.

The YSRC also expressed concern over the
recommendation that the government offer a fertiliser subsidy of Rs. 7,000 a
hectare. “This will adversely affect States like Andhra Pradesh, which are the
largest consumers of NPK. Restricting fertiliser subsidy to Rs. 7,000 a hectare
will not meet the requirement of even one crop, and farmers will be forced to
buy fertilisers at market prices for subsequent crops. This will entail a huge
financial burden on them. The government should, therefore, reject the
recommendations of the Shanta Kumar Committee and take steps to fix the Minimum
Support Price for all crops in line with the recommendations of the M.S.
Swaminathan Committee.

Meanwhile, senior YSRC leader Botcha
Satyanarayana demanded that the State government announce a bonus of Rs. 200 a
quintal for paddy to instil confidence among farmers who were facing crisis.
“The government should initiate steps for the direct procurement of produce
from farmers and keep a check on the prices of essential commodities,” he said.

He alleged that the government had neglected
the farm sector, as a result of which farmers were forced to bear the brunt on
account of mounting debts, rise in prices of fertilisers and other factors. The
YSRC will stage dharnas in front of all Tehsildar offices on Nov. 2 protesting
against the government’s failure to come to the rescue of farmers.

 



Back to Top