Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh welcomed the decision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi led central government decision to hike the support price of kharif and rabi crops, including the support price of paddy.
Singh extended thanks to Prime Minister from side of state farmers and residents. He said Chhattisgarh key crop is paddy while in tribal and mountainous region, the maize cultivation is being promoted. The decision would benefit lakhs of farmers of state.
Chief Minister also echoed the same sentiments during the reply to discussion for the first supplementary budget in state assembly on Wednesday. He said that it is a historical day for the farmers. He said that with hike is minimum support price of Rs 200, it has been hiked from Rs 1550 to Rs 1750 per quintal. The state government is already giving Rs 300 per quintal as bonus. Thus it has reached total Rs 2050 per quintal.
Similarly, the support price of maize per quintal has been hiked by Rs 275. The existing is Rs 1425 which will be now Rs 1700 per quintal. For pulses, apart from Moong, MSP of arhar (tur) has been raised by Rs 225 per quintal yielding a return over cost by 65.36 per cent and urad by Rs 200 per quintal with a return over cost by 62.89 per cent in order to maintain inter-crop-price parity. Similarly, the MSP of Bajra has been raised by Rs.525 per quintal yielding a return of 96.97 per cent over cost.
Before the address of Chief Minister, Agriculture and Water Resources minister Brijmohan Agrawal intimated the House regarding the hike of support prices for kharif and rabi crops. The Opposition members mainly Dhanendra Sahu, Kawasi lakhma, Amarjeet Singh Bhagat and others stated that bonus was not been given for last three years. Government should also pay the arrears as per the promise made to farmers.
But countering it, Brijmohan said the hike has total reached around Rs 2050, that is within Rs 2100 as per promise.