Baghel forms committee to ensure Rs 2500 paddy price

For fulfilling the promise of paying farmers Rs 2500 per quintal of paddy Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Friday constituted a committee headed by Agriculture Minister Ravindra Choubey.

Official sources informed that Chief Minister constituted the committee to ensure payment of Rs 2500 per quintal to farmers against paddy procurement on support price.

Official sources informed Tribal Caste Development Minister Dr Premsai Tekam, Forest Minister Mohammad Akbar and Food Minister Amarjeet Bhagat will be the members of the committee.

This committee will examine the schemes of Central and State Governments for provisions of financial aids for farmers and after detailed discussion-deliberation on all the aspects, the committee will submit recommendation within a month.

The committee would ensure payment of the “balance amount” from the minimum support price being paid to the farmers.

Notable, the state government had promised that the paddy would be procured from state farmers at the rate of Rs 2500 per quintal. But it had to settle for the central government’s prescribed rate as otherwise the Centre because of its policy decision was not be able to take the surplus rice from the state for central pool under National Food Security Act (NFSA) through Food Corporation of India (FCI).

This committee would ensure the payment of the balance amount of Rs 685 per quintal to state farmers as the Congress government in the state had promised of procuring paddy at the rate of Rs 2500 per quintal.

Notable, the procurement of paddy for this Kharif season in Chhattisgarh which began on December 1 last year will continue till February 15.

The state government had set a target of procuring 85 lakh metric ton (LMT) of paddy from farmers this Kharif season, and intends to contribute surplus rice for National Food Security Act (NFSA) through Food Corporation of India (FCI).