New Delhi, September 26
Brushing aside the demand for a hike in Minimum Support Price for paddy, the Government today retained the MSP of ordinary paddy at the previous year level of Rs 530 per quintal and of Grade ‘A’ at Rs 560 per quintal.

It, however, increased MSP of all oilseeds except soyabean by Rs 10-50 per quintal.

The decisions were taken today at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs. The Centre’s decision came as a surprise to the Punjab Congress and evoked a strong reaction from party leaders who were expecting at least some increase in the MSP.

Punjab Congress chief H S Hanspal, whose party today staged a dharna Delhi on the issues concerning farmers, described the Centre’s decision as “a cruel joke on the people of the state.”

He, however, said that the party had postponed its ‘rail roko’ agitation in Punjab adding that decision on the issue would be taken later. He accused the NDA government of being “anti-farmer.” The Congress had earlier announced that trains would be stopped for an hour in Punjab on Friday morning.

Announcing the MSP, an official spokesperson here said that all the prices have been fixed without any deviation from the recommendations of the Commission on Agricultural Costs and Prices.

She said MSPs of tur, cotton, kharif coarse cereals and soyabean and paddy have been retained at the previous year level as recommended by the CACP.

The MSP for groundnut in shell has been increased by Rs 15 per quintal to Rs 1355 per quintal and that of sesamum by Rs 50 per quintal to Rs 1450 per quintal.

The MSP of moong and urad have been raised by Rs 10 each a quintal and will now be Rs 1,330 a quintal as against Rs 1,320 a quintal for the previous year.

The MSP of sunflower seed has been raised by Rs 10 a quintal compared to last year.

The MSPs of sesamum and nigerseed have been fixed at Rs 1,450 a quintal and Rs 1120 a quintal, marking an increase of Rs 50 and Rs 20 a quintal, respectively.

Mr Vajpayee met Congress leaders at 1.20 pm after they staged a protest near his residence in the morning. Agriculture Minister Ajit Singh was also present at the meeting.

The Delhi police was taken by surprise as the Chief Minister and several of his ministerial colleagues broke off from the cavalcade, heading towards Jantar Mantar for staging their protest against the Centre and took the route to the Prime Minister’s residence.