Leader of Opposition H D Kumaraswamy has urged the state government to purchase rice from the open market instead of pressurising rice mill owners to give them levy rice.
In a letter to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday, he said it is unfortunate that the government is considering legal action against rice mill owners who fail to supply the levy rice.
Already, the prices of paddy had dropped to around `900-`1,000 per quintal. The mill owners would buy the rice from farmers at rates fixed by the government and give it as levy rice to the government.
Kumaraswamy suggested the government to purchase rice directly from the open market instead of neighbouring states. The act would encourage rice mill owners to provide jobs for locals and enable farmers to get a remunerative price for their produce, he added.