New Delhi: Government on April 2 increased the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for wheat by Rs 10 to Rs 620 per quintal for the marketing season 2002-03.

This was decided at the Cabinet meeting chaired by the Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.

The government also raised the MSP for various other agricultural commodities including grams, rapeseed/mustard and sunflower, the Union Law and Justice Minister Arun Jaitley told reporters after the meeting.

MSP for grams has been increased to Rs 1200 per quintal from the existing level of Rs 1100 for the same period, Jaitley said.

All the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Cost and Prices (CACP) have been accepted by the government except the one relating to wheat wherein the commission had favoured retaining the current level of MSP.

For rapeseed/mustard, sunflower and Masoor (pulse) the MSP has been fixed at Rs 1300 a quintal, up from Rs 1200.

In case of Barley, the MSP would continue at the level of Rs 500 a quintal, Jaitley added.

PTI