From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network- Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Nov 26: The Narendra Modi led NDA regime’s decision of not supporting Karnataka’s initiative to procure maize at Minimum Support Price (MSP) has put the Siddaramiah Congress Government in the State a quandary leading to a possible NDA-Congress face-off in the State.
The issue could well lead to precipitating confrontations between Congress and BJP as well as Centre-State tussle.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is expected to write to the Centre expressing the State government’s displeasure over the decision.
The Centre has decided not to support the State Government’s move to procure maize as the commodity was not being used for public distribution system (PDS).
The Centre has asked the State to spend from its own funds to procure the commodity from farmers, which could well prove to be a big financial burden on the State. Karnataka was planning to procure 10 to 12 lakh quintals of maize this year.
"We had spent about Rs 480 crore for procuring maize last year and it is our duty to rescue the farmers from any possibilities of a price crashthis year too," Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra said.
The minister, who also heads the Cabinet sub-committee on Agriculture, said told repoters in Bengaluru on Tuesday that the Union Agriculture Department in its letter on November 19, 2014, has categorically stated it would not reimburse the part of the amount spend by the State Government for procurement of maize.
The Centre has declared MSP of Rs 1350 per quintal of maize but the prices have dropped to rest at Rs 900 per quintal in the state.
"Let the BJP leaders in the Karnataka, who are crying hoarse over protecting the interests of farmers, answer," Jayachandra said.
"Why should the Centre fix MSP for the crop, if it is not ready to bear the cost?" Jayachandra asked.
Jayachandraquestioned the rationale behind the MSP announced by the Modi regime.
When asked whether he sees it as a politically motivated move from the BJP led NDA government, Jayachandra said: " it appears to be so."
"We will see how the Centre responds to the letter from our Chief Minister," he said.