Rajya Sabha MPs cutting across party lines on Wednesday expressed their concern over farmer’s issues and made a strong demand for raising the Minimum Support Price for paddy to Rs 1,000 per quintal.The members were unhappy at “discrimination” between paddy and wheat growers, who were getting more Minimum Support Price for their produce.Raising the issue during Zero Hour, TDP member Ravula Chandra Sekar Reddy said at least 500 pady farmers had committed suicide in Andhra Pradesh alone.Supporting him, CPI’s D Raja said the the problem should be addressed by the government with a sense of urgency. “Since the UPA Government claims it is for the aam aadmi, it should know that farmers are the real aam aadmi,” he said. CPI(M) member Sitaram Yechury said the most number of suicide cases were reported from among paddy cultivators. One farmers ends his life every 30 minutes, he added. Keshav Rao of the Congress demanded that paddy growers should be at par with wheat growers, while his party colleague M S Gill said since 70 per cent of farmers cultivated paddy, the MSP should be increased forthwith.
