Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has requested Union food minister Ram Vilas Paswan to purchase 31 lakh tons rice from state for the central pool.
In a letter written to Paswan, Bagel while citing a provision of MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) signed between Chhattisgarh and Union government said that the Food Corporation of India (FCI) can purchase all surplus rice from a state.
“During the financial marketing year 2019-20, 82.80 lakh tons paddy was purchased from 18.20 lakh farmers in Chhattisgarh,” Baghel said in the letter.
While pointing towards loan waiver by his government, Baghel said that due to loan waiver of about 4 lakh farmers, most of them had again registered for selling paddy. So, this year paddy purchase jumped to 82.80 lakh tons from 80.38 lakh tons last year.
The Chief Minister citing permission granted by Union food ministry for purchasing 24 lakh tons usna rice in central pool said that 55.86 lakh tons rice will be produced from 82.80 lakh tons paddy in marketing year 2019-20.
“State PDS will need 25.40 TMT rice while the remaining 30.46 TMT rice will be surplus. Out of surplus rice 24 TMT rice will be purchased by the FCI. However, about 6.66 MT rice worth Rs 1500 crore will remain unutilized,” he said while urging the Union minister to increase rice procurement from Chhattisgarh from 24 lakh tons to 31 lakh tons.
