Press Releases Archive

Farmers getting ready for a ‘Do or die’ battle on fair price

Representatives of farmers in Andhra Pradesh are meeting in Hyderabad on Monday, May 9 to finalize an action plan as part of their ‘do or die’ battle for getting a fair price for paddy.

Disclosing this at a media conference here today, Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan and leaders of independent farmers’ organizations said that farmers would join hands transcending their affiliation to parties and castes, regions and crops.

Dr. JP recalled that despite repeated representations to all those in power from the Prime Minister downwards for the last seven months, precious little has been done to rescue the farmer from the miserable plight he finds himself in. The real price of food grains is actually falling, whereas general inflation is 9% in the country. The minimum support price (MSP) of paddy is Rs.1030 per quintal, and this barely meets the costs of cultivation of owner-farmers, and with MSP tenants incur cash losses. The crisis in the farm sector has now accentuated with the farmer not getting even the MSP for paddy anywhere in Andhra Pradesh.

Dr. JP said that the State Government could ensure the MSP for paddy by utilizing provisions under the Essential Commodities Act. Yet, it has become a mute spectator to millers playing football with farmers. The Union Government ought to have permitted rice exports considering that the country has double the stocks required for food security, that bumper harvests are flowing into the market and food grains are commanding a good price the world over because of crop failures in countries like Russia and China. Yet, it would not allow exports on the specious plea of food prices going up. It conveniently ignores that food inflation is the result of an increase in prices of fruits and vegetables, dairy products and meat, and not of food grains.

Dr. JP said the State Government which collected Rs.1500 crore a year by way of rural development cess and VAT could straightway give a bonus of at least Rs.100 a quintal on paddy. The Government of India could canalize exports through State undertakings like the FCI, STC and MMTC and share the profits with farmers.

A long-term solution to farmers’ problems, however, lies in unshackling agriculture from the license-permit raj, Dr. JP said.

Mr. Y. Nagendranath, President of Rytanga Samakhya, said that farmers suffered in the last kharif when they lost crop because of heavy rains and in the rabi now as the yields are going to be record high. Mr. Dasaradharami recalled that the Union Government banned onion exports within five days of their prices shooting up but would not raise its little finger although farmers have been going without the MSP for the last six months. He pointed out that his income from agriculture is less than the wage he pays his laborer and yet he stuck to agriculture since he is good at nothing else. He faulted the Union Government for not raising the MSP since 2008-09, although the cost of production has spurted because of hike in wages, fuel etc. Mr. Balarami Reddy of Medak said that the farmers’ plight is so dire that there are no marital suitors for their children in agriculture.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011 - 22:05

Memorandum Given By Dr.JP and Independent Farmers' Organizations To C.M. On Agri Crisis

The following is the text of the Memorandum that Lok Satta party President Dr.Jayaprakash Narayan along with Party leaders and Independent Farmer's Organizations submitted to the Chief Minister N.Kiran Kumar Reddy at Camp Office today (May 02, 2011, Monday)... Farmers' leaders Y.Nagendra Nath, P.Chengal Reddy, U.Bhaskar, B.Dasaratha Rami Reddy, M.J.Subbarami Reddy, S.Chengal Raya Reddy, P.Bhaskara Rao, V.Vijayender Reddy, S.Manorama, Lok Satta leaders Katari Srinivasa Rao, Bhesetti Babji, Bandaru Rammohan Rao, Jaya Kumar accompanied Dr.JP.

Monday, May 2, 2011 - 17:14

Lok Satta hints at direct action on problems of Farmers and urban dwellers

The Lok Satta Party today threw enough hints of its plans to mobilize people for direct action if Governments did not mend their ways and come to the rescue of people in distress.

Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan said that farmers would blockade movement of non-agricultural produce if the Union and State Governments did not ensure even the minimum support price for paddy while the party’s Working President D. V. V. S. Varma said rate payers would be forced to launch a no-tax campaign if the State Government did not drop its plans to hike the property tax in urban areas.

They were addressing the media after a two-day meeting of the party’s State Working Committee.

Mr. Varma wanted the State Government to roll back its recent orders providing for a hike in property tax in urban areas. While making it clear the Lok Satta was not opposed to taxes, he explained why a hike at this stage is unwarranted. The present property tax system is inequitable. Those who wielded power and influence and those who greased the palms of officials managed to get away with little incidence while the majority suffered in silence. Taxes are supposed to be collected for rendering service, and not for feeding the corrupt. The municipalities have miserably failed in discharging their primary duty of supplying safe drinking water and maintaining sanitation and hygiene. Middle class people spent hundreds of rupees on buying bottled water and mosquito repellents. The Government has not constituted ward committees in all municipalities or entrusted them with powers, resources and personnel where they are in place. The municipalities are not implementing the citizen’s charter.

Mr. Varma said that the Government should attend to all such anomalies before it permitted a hike in taxes. If did not heed, people would have no alternative to resorting to a no-tax campaign, he warned.

Dr. JP released a booklet brought out by the party on municipal taxes.

Dr. JP pointed out that farmers in Andhra Pradesh and elsewhere in the country had to make distress sale of paddy and wheat since the Union Government would not permit export of food grains although warehouses are overflowing. As of today, the country has 48 million tons of buffer stocks, double the quantity needed for meeting the nation’s food security. The State Government by its acts of commission and omission left farmers to the mercy of rice millers.

A delegation of independent farmers’ organizations and the Lok Satta Party will be calling on Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy on May 2 to represent the farmers’ plight. The Andhra Pradesh Government, like its counterparts in Punjab and Haryana, should enter the market and buy paddy at the MSP and permit free movement of paddy and rice within and outside the State.

Dr. JP wanted economist-turned Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to take the initiative and permit food grain exports. He appealed to Members of Parliament from the State to exert pressure on the Union Government and facilitate food grain exports.

Dr. JP warned that if farmers turned desperate, they would hit the road. The Lok Satta Party in association with farmers’ organizations would be forced to call for a blockade of non-agricultural produce to make New Delhi realize the crisis in the farm sector.

At the outset, Dr. JP hoped that MIM legislator Akbaruddin Owaisi would recover soon and said the attack on him should serve as a wake-up call for arresting the anarchy into which the State is hurtling.

Sunday, May 1, 2011 - 23:00

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