FDI in multi-brand retail to benefit farmers: RJD

RJD on Sunday said FDI in retail will benefit the farmers but the small traders be "hit badly".

"The FDI in multi-brand retail is bound to benefit the farmers who will get a fair price by selling their produces directly to the retail companies," RJD national spokesperson Ramkripal Yadav and Ex-MP Vijay Krishna told reporters in Patna.

The middlemen in marketing chain of food grains will definitely be eliminated after multi-brand retailers set up their outlets much to the benefit of the farmers, they said.

"The FDI in multi-brand retail will, however, hit badly to the crores of retail shopkeepers and vendors," RJD leaders said.

RJD was reviewing the pros and cons of the FDI in multi-brand retail, they said, a day after their party supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav had backed the UPA government's decision, citing benefits to the farmers and consumers.

Though RJD leaders asked the UPA government to roll back the diesel price hike and rationing of subsidised LPG cylinders as the masses were already burdened with the ever spiralling price rise.

They also announced deferment of the RJD supremo's 'Parivartan Yatra' to October 3, from September 19 as scheduled earlier.

They said that Prasad will visit six districts - Munger, Bhagalpur, Khagaria, Lakhisarai, Jamui and Bankar - during week-long tour to protest the failure of the NDA government on all fronts.