The Haryana chief minister, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, on Tuesday called upon Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to urge him to lift the ban on export of non-basmati rice.
The chief minister asserted that with the imposition of the ban on export of non-basmati rice, both the farmers and the traders would have to bear the loss. No sooner it came to his notice than the chief minister talked to the commerce minister Kamal Nath and urged him to take back the decision keeping in view the interests of the farming community.
Hooda maintained that Kamal Nath had assured him that the interest of the farming community would be protected at every cost. Also, the case of the farming community was discussed with Dr Manmohan Singh. “I myself belong to the farming community therefore very well know the problems faced by the paddy growers. I am confident that the Centre would lift the ban and non-basmati rice would be exported again,” said Hooda.
Hooda advised the paddy growers to not to be misled by anyone as the Centre and the state government are committed to the welfare of the farming community. A number of decisions had been taken earlier for the benefit of the farming community, he added. The Minimum Support Price of wheat had been increased to Rs 1,000 per quintal from Rs 750 plus Rs 100 as bonus as against the last year besides a bonus of Rs 50 on paddy had also been announced.
The chief minister maintained that he was well versed with the fact that after the ban was imposed, the purchase price would reduce and lastly farmers will have to be at the suffering end