‘State Govt is unnecessarily dragging Centre into paddy procurement issue’
| Date :01-Nov-2019 |
Sandeep Sharma
Staff Reporter :
RAIPUR,
Asserting that the Congress government is in a dilemma over paddy procurement under Minimum Support Price, Bharatiya Janata Party Kissan leader Sandeep Sharma said instead of proceeding for paddy procurement and fulfilling its promise, the state government is unnecessarily dragging the Central government in the issue. Reacting to the letter written by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel to the Prime Minister, Sharma said it is the Congress which has come to power by promising to purchase paddy against a Minimum Support Price of Rs 2,500 per quintal.
Now that it has come to power by making the said promise, it is its duty to fulfill the same. He said it is completely unnecessary to drag the central government into the same. Sharma while adding that the Congress should fulfill all the promises made in its manifesto honestly instead of giving unnecessary suggestions to BJP, he said the Centre is yet to derive any fresh policy on paddy procurement. Sharma said the previous BJP government under Dr Raman Singh, not only purchased every grain produced by farmers but have also paid bonus against it. He said Central government prepares policy on procurement based on pan India requirement and not on the basis of any single state.
It is the state government which has to find its way as to how it would fulfill its promises made during election as the previous had done. Sharma alleged that for winning elections one can make huge promises but after winning elections, it requires will-power to fulfill such promises. He added that the Congress government is trying to politicise this farmers’ issue. So far as agitation against Central government by the Congress is concerned, the Congress should remember that the BJP had always been with the farmers and had always worked for their interest. Even today, if the state government wants to play any political to hide its failure, the BJP will strongly stand with the farmers. He demanded that the state government should purchase every grain produced in Chhattisgarh at Rs 2,500 MSP as it has promised in manifesto but also should pay two years’ pending bonus at the earliest, which it had also promised.