Bhubaneswar, March 25: The Assembly today passed a unanimous resolution to demand enhancement in the minimum support price (MSP) of paddy from the Centre.

The state will now ask the Centre to increase the minimum support price of paddy to Rs 2,930 a quintal.

Serious debates on the issue had been going on in the Assembly during the past few days.

Agriculture minister Pradeep Maharathy today said: "A House committee will be formed under the chairmanship of the Speaker taking MLAs of all the parties as its members. The committee will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demand the increase in the minimum support price."

The Centre fixes the minimum support price for agricultural products.

The issue came to limelight when leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra had submitted a notice to Speaker Niranjan Pujari planning to move a resolution urging the central government to revise the minimum support price from the existing Rs 1,450 as the cost of production of paddy has increased over the years.

Later, Maharathy had read out a statement in the House stating that the state government had recommended the Centre to hike the minimum support price to Rs 2,500 a quintal.

To put pressure on the government to pass a resolution, Mishra had also resigned from the business advisory committee of the Assembly accusing the government not to take up farmer's issues.

As the issue snowballed into a major controversy, it was also debated several times in the Assembly. Cutting across party lines, the MLAs said there was a need to increase the minimum support price of paddy.

The House witnessed a debate for three hours on this issue.

BJP MLA Pradeep Purohit said: "We support the move of the leader of Opposition. Earlier, the state had failed to pass a resolution on the issue of Mahanadi water dispute. Now, the time has come to be united for the farmers' cause."

Congress chief whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati said: "Leader of Opposition Mishra had earlier moved an amendment on this issue demanding that the minimum support price of paddy should be fixed at Rs 3,516 per quintal. The move of the Assembly to pass a unanimous resolution is a welcome step."

As all the parties have reached a consensus, government chief whip Ananta Das moved a resolution in the House demanding that the minimum support price of paddy be increased to Rs 2,930 per quintal.

The motion was welcomed by everyone in the Assembly.