Without rice levy,farmer suicides will go up: SP

The Samajwadi Party (SP) has slammed the Centre’s proposal of not purchasing rice levy from the state,saying that it will lead to farmer suicides and ruin the rice industry.

Till now,60 per cent of the rice produced by mills was taken by FCI as levy while millers were free to sell the remaining 40 per cent in the market. The state has around 4,300 rice mills,many of them owned by politicians.

In a statement,SP spokesperson Rajendra Choudhary said,“If there is no levy,paddy purchase will go down. The ultimate victim will be the farmer as his produce will not get adequate price. If there is no levy,the rice mills will not operate to their maximum capacity and thus there will be retrenchment.”