The Central Government had proposed to source 24 lakh metric tonnes (lMT) of parboiled rice over and above Chhattisgarh's requirement under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and Other Welfare Schemes (OWS) in kharif marketing season (KMS) 2017-18 as there is a shortfall of parboiled rice at the national level, the Central Government has informed.
Further, in Jharkhand, a deficit state, the FCI has been allowed to continue the participation in procurement operations in the state even after declaration of the bonus by the State Government during KMS 2016-17 and KMS 2017-18, it informed.
Notably, Public Distribution System (PDS) coverage in Chhattisgarh has grown from 45 per cent in 2003 to 82 per cent in 2017-18, Civil Supplies Minister Punnulal Mohle had told reporters in Raipur last month.
The free lPG gas connections under Prime Minister Ujjawala Yojana started on August 13, 2016 now has 16.50 lakh subscribers from economically weaker sections, he said.
In 2003 there were just about 6.80 lakh connections which has now been registered at 36.38 lakh connections, the Minister said.
He said that during the last 14 years, State Government has made continuous improvements in Public Distribution System, relieving poor people of the concern for food.
Chhattisgarh is the first state of the country that made Food Security and Nutrition Security law in year 2012 and gave lakhs of poor people the right to food for malnutrition eradication, he said.
Under PDS, nearly 57.72 lakh ration card holder families in Chhattisgarh are being provided monthly supply of rice at only Rs 1/kg. A total of 2.10 crore members of such families are being benefitted under the scheme.
He said that employment opportunities have been created extensively by promoting handloom fabric production, silk production, handicrafts and clay art in Gramodyog sector.
Under support price policy, Chhattisgarh Government has made the best possible arrangement for paddy procurement, Mohle said.
In last 14 years, 669 new procurement centres have been opened in cooperative societies. In year 2003, the number of procurement centres was 1323, which has now increased to 1992 today.
The number of registered farmers selling paddy in this duration has increased from eight lakh to 13.28 lakh in year 2016-17 and to more than 15.78 lakh in current kharif marketing year 2017-18, he said.