Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said in his address to the meeting of Chhattisgarh MPs held at Mantralaya Mahanadi Bhavan that Member of Parliaments from Chhattisgarh should rise above the party politics and come together for farmers' interest to raise the issue of Central Government's permission for paddy procurement from farmers at minimum support price of Rs 2500 per quintal and procurement of 32 lakh metric tons of rice from Chhattisgarh for central pool.
The meeting was attended by State's Agriculture Minister Ravindra Choubey, Members of Lok Sabha Dr Jyotsana Mahant, Deepak Baij and Member of Rajya Sabha Chhaya Verma, Chief Secretary RP Mandal, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Gaurav Dwivedi , Principal Secretary Agriculture and Agricultural Production Commissioner Dr Maninder Kaur Dwivedi, Secretary of Food Department Dr Kamalpreet Singh.
Some MPs could not attend the meeting because of previous engagements.
Baghel said that in 2014 central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that the rice procurement will not be done from the state governments that are providing bonus to farmers on paddy procurement at support price, for central pool.
But despite that rice was being procured for central pool from farmers by slackening the aforementioned provision for last two years. In year 2019-20, we have requested Prime Minister to slacken the provision this year as well and procure 32 lakh metric tons of rice from Chhattisgarh, because this year inflow of paddy in large quantity is expected.
“We have written letters in the context to Prime Minister and Central Food Minister, but they have responded with disagreement letter, stating that procurement of paddy at Rs 2500 per quintal would disturb the market,” he said.
Chief Minister said in the meeting that procurement of paddy at Rs 2500 per quintal in Chhattisgarh has flourished the market. He requested all the MPs, farmers and businessmen to write letters to Prime Minister requesting slackening of the provision to procure 32 lakh metric tons of rice from Chhattisgarh for central pool.
Chief Minister said in the meeting that in larger interest of farmers, state government would procure paddy at Rs 2500 per quintal from farmers this year as well.
This year, nearly 85 lakh metric tons of paddy procurement is expected. Chief Minister said that “we have kept the promise of procuring paddy at Rs 2500 per quintal in year 2018-19.”
He appealed to MPs to rise above party politics to support interest of farmers of Chhattisgarh at the all-party meet.
Representatives of various political parties responded positively to the request of Chief Minister.
Chief Minister said in the meeting that if rice is not procured for central pool from Chhattisgarh, it would adversely affect farmers and economy of the state. He said that state government is providing Rs 2500 per quintal to farmers against paddy procurement from its own resources.