nThe state Congress on Thursday said a budgetary provision for the difference in the minimum support price (MSP) of paddy has already been made by the state government and it will soon be paid to the farmers.
Replying to a demand raised by the BJP in this regard, state Congress general secretary and chairman of the communication wing Shailesh Nitin Trivedi said the state government was sensitive to the need of the farmers in this crucial time and soon the balance amount will be paid to them.
Notable, chief minister Bhupesh Baghel had announced to pay Rs 2,500 per quintal to farmers for paddy procured by the state government.
Trivedi further said that due to some bindings as per the Centre’s instructions, the state government had procured paddy from farmers in the state at the MSP prescribed by the Centre—the MSP for the common grade paddy at Rs 1,815 per quintal and for grade A crop at Rs 1,835.
“As the state government had promised that the paddy would be procured from the farmers at the rate of Rs 2,500 per quintal.
“But by doing so the Centre, due to its policy decision, was unable to take the surplus rice from the state in the central pool under the National Food Security Act, through the Food Corporation of India,” he said.
So keeping in view of the technical difficulty, the state government will now disburse the balance amount of Rs 685 per quintal in the bank accounts of the farmers in the state as the Congress government in the state had promised, he said.