
NIZAMABAD: While welcoming the establishment of Turmeric Board in Nizamabad, BRS MLC K Kavitha said that the Union government should announce minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 15,000 per quintal to fulfil the long-pending demand of farmers.
Addressing the media at the BRS office in Nizamabad on Sunday, she alleged that the announcement on establishment of the Turmeric Board and its inauguration were carried out like BJP programmes.
Stating that the Turmeric Board will not serve the purpose if proper steps are not taken to serve the farmers, she suggested a three-pronged strategy to strengthen the Board. “The government should adopt a three-point strategy to strengthen the Turmeric Board -- stop the imports, announce the MSP and bring processing units to the region,” she said.
“This plan will also help in creation of jobs for the locals,” she added.
Kavitha also tried to claim credit for the establishment of Turmeric Board by recalling how she brought the issue to the attention of the Centre on several occasions during her tenure as the Nizamabad MP between 2014 and 2019
“We did a lot of work. Along with district MLAs and MLCs, we made representations to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the then Union Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. A Private Members’ Bill was also introduced in this regard in Lok Sabha. But Union government showed no interest in establishing the Turmeric Board. It also refused to provide funds to the state government’s proposal to set up a Spices Park at Velpur, forcing the state govrnment take up the project with its own funds,” she said.
Kavitha, meanwhile, congratulated Palle Ganga Reddy who was appointed as the first chairman of the Turmeric Board.