Setting up a target to purchase 50 lakh metric ton of paddy in this kharif season, the Uttar Pradesh government announced a new paddy purchase policy giving emphases on the RTGS (Real Time Gross Settlement) mode of payment to farmers. The government also announced that Kumbh Mela area would be declared as ODF zone. The decisions were taken in the Cabinet meeting held on Tuesday.
Government spokesman Srikant Sharma said that the Cabinet approved a new paddy policy under which a common variety of paddy would be purchased at Rs 1,750 per quintal while grade A paddy would be purchased at Rs 1,770 per quintal. Besides, Rs 20 per quintal will be paid for winnowing and cleaning the paddy. “The government has set a target to purchase 50 lakh metric tons of paddy this season while it was 45 lakh metric tons last year. The purchase centres will start working in Terai and parts of western UP from October 1 while in central and eastern UP it will open from November 1,” Sharma, who is also Power Minister in the government, said.
He said all the transactions would be online and farmers would get payment through RTGS within 72 hours. “If the rice mills prepare rice within 30 days of purchase, they will get Rs 20 per quintal as incentive but if it takes more than 45 days, Rs 1 per quintal per day will be charged from the mill,” he said.
In another decision, the government announced Kumbh Mela zone as ODF where 1.22 lakh toilets would be constructed. “The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) will construct 43,500 toilets while the rest will be constructed by the state government,” the spokesman said adding that the total project will cost Rs 252.85 crore. He added that 11,400 labourers would be employed to clean those toilets.
The Cabinet also approved the proposal of accelerated economic development project under which guidelines for expansion of infrastructure projects had been approved. The spokesman said that projects related to infrastructure like roads, electricity, bridges, drinking water schemes, construction of buildings for schools and colleges would be approved through consultation with the district administration and people’s representatives. “The government has allocated a budget of Rs 1,850 crore for this project,” he said.
In another decision, the government handed over the guesthouse at Ramabai Ambedkar Sthal to Estate department. In 2015, the said guesthouse was handed over to Civil Aviation from Estate department. The Cabinet rescinded that order on Tuesday.