By IANS
Hyderabad : The Andhra Pradesh assembly Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution urging the central government to enhance the minimum support price (MSP) for paddy and other agro products after Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader N. Chandrababu Naidu spent the night in the assembly premises to pressurise the government.
TDP legislators stayed back in the house after it was adjourned for the day Monday and shifted to lobbies late in the night. Naidu and other TDP members, including women legislators, slept on the floor in the novel protest over the issue.
They woke up Tuesday morning and returned to the House after taking bath and having breakfast in the assembly premises. The marathon debate on the issue continued for the 10th day. However, the house was adjourned sine die even as the TDP, which was not satisfied with passing a resolution, continued its protest to mount pressure on the government.
Speaker K.R. Suresh adjourned the house even as slogan-shouting TDP legislators surrounded his podium.
Earlier, Naidu lashed out at the Congress government for its failure to ensure Rs.1000 per quintal MSP for paddy, and demanded that all the members of parliament should resign to mount pressure on the centre to enhance the MSP from Rs.745 to Rs.1000.
He took strong exception to Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy leaving the house in the midst of a debate on an important issue. The chief minister left the assembly for a visit to his native Kadpa district.
The former chief minister said the action of the centre in enhancing the MSP only for wheat proved that the state had failed to convince centre despite sending 42 members to the Lok Sabha.
The resolution urged the centre to announce Rs.990 per quintal MSP for ordinary paddy and Rs.1088 for ‘A’ grade paddy. It also sought enhanced MSP for other food grains.
The chief minister, in his reply to the debate, said he was ready to take an all-party delegation to New Delhi to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Claiming that his government was committed to the welfare of farmers, Reddy said a central commission had decided the MSP for agriculture produce without consulting the state governments.
He alleged that Naidu was trying to take political mileage of the MSP issue.
TDP has 45 members in 294-member assembly.