Paddy procurement crosses historic 100 lakh metric tonne mark in State
   Date :19-Jan-2023

Paddy procurement 
 
 
 
Staff Reporter
RAIPUR, 
The State Government has congratulated the farmers of the State as the paddy procurement crossed over 100 lakh metric tonne. Addressing a press conference at state Congress party office Rajiv Bhawan in the State Capital, State Congress President Mohan Markam said that Chhattisgarh has created a new record of procuring over 100 lakh metric tonne of paddy so far. Markam said that agriculture has become a profitable profession in the State. In the previous regime the farmers suffered losses. The Congress Government is preserving the interest of the farmers, he added.
Agriculture Minister Ravindra Choubey, who was also present in the press conference, said that Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel Government had completed four years rule on December 17. The Congress Government has achieved a big success on January 17 after the paddy procurement crossed over 100 lakh metric tonne.
The State Government is procuring paddy under a systematic plan. The State Government has set a target to procure 110 lakh metric tonne of paddy this financial year. The State Government will definitely achieve this target within the time limit.
An amount of about Rs 21,000 has been given to the farmers so far. Ravindra Choubey said that when the State Government had started buying paddy at Rs 2,500 per quintal, then for the first time an objection came from the Central Government. Even after the Central Government’s hurdle, the Congress Government decided to procure paddy at Rs 2,500 per quintal, he added. Reacting over BJP State President Arun Sao’s statement over paddy procurement, Forest Minister Mohammad Akbar said that at first, the BJP President needs to understand the system of paddy procurement. The system of paddy procurement is such that the Chhattisgarh Government has taken a loan of Rs 22,000 crore through Markfed. The State Government gave bank guarantee of Rs 12,000 crore for this loan. The rest of the money is unsecured. The difference between these two loans is that on the guarantee of the State Government, the interest rate is less than 5 per cent. Not even a single rupee has been received from the Central Government for the paddy procurement, he said. Mohammad Akbar said that the Congress Government had committed to purchase at the rate of Rs 2,500 per quintal. In 2019, the State Government made direct payment of Rs 2,500. Then the Government of India imposed a restriction not to purchase at more than the support price of the Central Government and if they do the Central Government will not take rice from Chhattisgarh in the central pool of Food Corporation of India. Chhattisgarh Government takes a loan of 20 to 25 thousand crore every year. With this, paddy is procured, gunny bags are arranged, transportation and custom milling is done. After that that rice is deposited in the Food Corporation of India, as much as the quota the State gets.
The remaining rice is deposited in the State Civil Supplies Corporation. After that, if the State Government submits the full details of the paddy procurement expenses to the Government of India, then the same amount is given to the State Government. In that too, the purchase amount is available only according to the support price. The difference amount of the MSP is given to all the farmers under Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana. This entire amount is given by the State Government. Farmers are given at the rate of Rs 9,000 per acre, it costs Rs 600 per quintal. Last time when farmers sold paddy, they got Rs 2,540. Those who have sold this year will get Rs 2,640 per quintal, he added. Food Minister Amarjeet Bhagat said that only 12 to 13 lakh farmers used to sell paddy during the BJP Government but now, paddy is being procured from 24 lakh farmers in the State. Labour Minister Dr Shiv Kumar Dahariya said that over 15,000 farmers had committed suicide in the State during the 15 years rule of the BJP but in Congress rule no such incidents have been reported. Excise Minister Kawasi Lakhma said that the Congress Government is working for the progress of farmers of the State and BJP only made false promises, he added.