CPCC to pressurise Centre on Rs 2,500 MSP for paddy
| Date :04-Nov-2019 |
Staff Reporter :
RAIPUR
CPCC to carry out demonstration in New Delhi from November 15
With an objective to create pressure on the central government for paddy procurement under Rs 2,500 per quintal Minimum Support Price (MSP), the Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee (CPCC) has decided to carry out demonstration in the national capital from November 15. In-between, the Congress will carry out signature campaign from November 5-12, seeking support from farmers, villagers and general public so as to pressurise the centre to allow Chhattisgarh government to procure paddy at Rs 2,500 per quintal MSP under Decentralised Procurement Scheme (DCP).
Addressing media persons during a press conference on Sunday, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, who was flanked by AICC Chhattisgarh In charge P L Punia, CPCC President Mohan Markam and other Congress leaders at Rajiv Bhawan, said the Congress government is committed towards procurement of paddy from farmers at Rs 2,500 per quintal MSP. Unfortunately the central government is not cooperating on the issue by not permitting the state government to do so by relaxing norms. He said two years back when BJP government was in power in the state, the centre had relaxed norms, then why it is problem now. He said the state government is only seeking permission from the centre for procuring paddy at Rs 2,500 per quintal MSP under Decentralised Procurement Scheme while the money for paddy procurement will be paid by the state government.
The Chief Minister said in order to create on the central government in this direction, the CPCC will be carrying out signature campaign at the booth level in all development blocks from November 5 which will continue till November 12. On November 15, a mega dharna and demonstration will be carried out at New Delhi. Ahead of mega dharna at the national capital, the CPCC will be carrying out dharna and demonstrations at block, district and state level alongside signature campaigns. Accordingly, Block-level dharna will be carried on November 5 at Bastar, November 6 at Durg, November 7 in Surguja and November 8 in Raipur and Bilaspur. Similarly, district-level agitations will be carried out on November 9 at Bastar and Durg, November 10 at Surguja and November 11 at Bilaspur and Raipur.
The state-level dharna will be held on November 13 and thereafter Congress party workers and office-bearers led by CPCC President Mohan Markam will leave for New Delhi by road. Regarding arrangement of funds for paddy procurement, the Chief Minister said the state government has sourced Rs 20,000 crore from Reserve Bank of India as loan for paddy procurement. He said state governments had taken loans earlier for paddy procurement. Even the BJP government under Dr Raman Singh had taken Rs 10,000 crore as loan from banks for the same. He said this time the amount is bigger as MSP is higher as also the quantity of paddy. Earlier, the state government used to procure between 60-85 lakh MT paddy, which now has increased to over 85 lakh MT.