Thiruvananthapuram, Feb. 9 -- Kerala BJP President Rajeev Chandrasekhar has appealed to the Central Government to exclude Kerala from the reference on discontinuation of bonus over and above the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for paddy and wheat, pointing out that the State's agricultural situation is fundamentally different from that of surplus-producing States.
In a communication to union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Chandrasekhar drew attention to a recent directive issued by the Centre requesting States to review and consider discontinuing MSP bonus payments in view of surplus stocks, fiscal burden, and sustainability concerns.
He maintained that applying the same parameters to Kerala would be inappropriate, as the State does not...