Lok Sabha Debates
Need To Allocate Railway Rakes To Food Corporation Of India (Fci). on 7 May, 2012
> Title: Need to allocate railway rakes to Food Corporation of India (FCI).
SHRI K. BAPIRAJU (NARSAPURAM): Mr. Chairman, Sir, the fate of the farmers throughout the country, and especially in Andhra Pradesh, is the same, but we are witnessing the farmers facing problems in Andhra Pradesh regarding their paddy. Their condition is very miserable. They are not able to sell paddy from their fields as there are no takers for their crops. In these circumstances, they are somehow struggling themselves and taking paddy to the market, but nobody is prepared to buy it. The problem is that the rice-mills are unable to pay for their paddy them because their godowns are packed with rice.
At the same time, there has been a request made by the FCI to the Railways for rakes to be supplied, at least eight rakes per day. This is pending before the Railway Board. Unless the rakes are made available by the Railways, it cannot be shifted from their godowns. This is a very miserable condition.
The UPA-I Government and UPA-II Government did raise the MSP for paddy from Rs. 500 to Rs. 1,050, for which I am grateful to the Central Government. Unfortunately, though 90 per cent of the MPs are from the farming community, still the fate of the farmers is so bad. It is very unfortunate.
Sir, I would request the Railways, through you, that they should come to the rescue of the farmers by making available eight rakes per day to the FCI to enable them to shift rice immediately and thereby come to the rescue of the farmers.
MR. CHAIRMAN: This issue was discussed threadbare in the afternoon.