Chhattisgarh government will procure paddy at Rs 2,500 per quintal regardless of centre’s support, stated senior minister Amarjeet Bhagat while briefing media about the decisions of Friday’s Cabinet meeting at Chief Minister’s official residence.
“Considering the extended stretch of rain this year, we have decided to start paddy procurement from December 1. The process will end on February 15,” said Bhagat, who holds the portfolio of Food civil supplies and consumer protection department.
Agriculture Minister Ravindra Chaubey and Forest Minister Mohammed Akbar were also present at the media briefing.
They informed that the Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel also approved amendment in the 100-point model reservation roster fixed for direct recruitment at division and district level under Schedule-2 in Rule-3 of Chhattisgarh Civil Service (Reservation for Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Other Backward Classes) Rule, 1998. The amendment in reservation quota will be carried out on the basis of population of SC, ST, OBC and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in respective districts.
The ministers further informed that the state government is repeatedly appealing to central government through the Prime Minister and Union Food Minister for allowing the surplus rice after distribution in PDS, to be validated for central pool by relaxing a condition in the MoU as was done during previous years, wherein, the Chhattisgarh government used to transfer surplus rice to central pool through Food Corporation of India.
The trio informed that the state government has set a target to procure over 85 MLT paddy during this Kharif Marketing Year 2019-20 and it intends to provide surplus rice for NFSA through the FCI.