The State Government has procured a total of 62.72 lakh metric tonnes of paddy at support price from 1,976 centres for the Kharif marketing year 2014-15. Notably, Saturday was the last day of the State Government’s paddy procurement exercise. This apart, the sowing for Rabi crops have been completed in more than 9.5 lakh hectares so far in Chhattisgarh, the officials stated. This accounts to 51 per cent of the target of 18.76 lakh hectares set by the Agriculture Department for the Rabi season. It includes food-grains, pulses, oil-seeds and vegetables, they stated.
Agriculture Department officials stated that a target of 1.70 lakh hectares has been set for wheat and sowing of wheat in 70,330 hectares has been done so far. Similarly, target for paddy is 1.74 lakh hectares, for maize is 70,000 hectares, for Jau-Jwar is 5,360 hectares. In total the target for food grains is 4.20 lakh hectares and sowing of food grains has been done in 85,860 hectares so far.
They further said that Gram has been sown in 2.14 lakh hectares, peas in 27,790 hectares, masoor in 16,950 hectares, moong in 12,240 hectares, urad in 19,250 hectares, tiura in 3.05 lakh hectares, kulthi in 22,320 hectares and other pulses in 6,440 hectares. The farmers have completed sowing on 6,13,775 hectares against the target of more than nine lakh hectares.
Among the oil-seeds, the farmers have sown alsi in 41,000 hectares, rai-sarso and toriya in 97,930 hectares, til in 2,240 hectares, sunflower in 550 hectares, kusum in 4,250 hectares, groundnut in 2,780 hectares, and other oil-seeds in 3,950 hectares. A target of 2.91 lakh has been set for oil-seeds and the farmers have sown more than 1.52 lakh hectares so far. Sugarcane has been sown in 15,150 hectares and vegetables in 92,780 hectares, the officials said.
Moreover, Chhattisgarh’s unique Public Distribution System (PDS) model has gram panchayats, co-operative societies and women's self help groups (SHGs) operating the fair price shops, officials stated. About 2.60 lakh tonnes foodgrains and 15,000 kilolitre kerosene oil are being distributed under the State Government’s Public Distribution System (PDS). The State is spending Rs4,640 crore per year on the scheme.
'Meri Marji' (My Choice) scheme was started in March 2012 in which consumers can buy rations from the shops of their choice under the Core PDS system. It is in operation in eight cities-Raipur, Durg, Rajnandgaon, Mahasamund,Raigarh, Ambikapur, Korba and Chirimiri-in 565 fair price shops . About Rs1.75 crore is allocated in current fiscal 2014-15 to implement Core PDS in 290 fair price shops.
The ration shop owners are answerable to the consumers under the scheme. Chhattisgarh Core Public distribution System not only won many national awards but also was hailed at the national-level.Chhattisgarh’s Public Distribution System (PDS) has received all round praises for becoming a unique example for the country at the meeting of chief ministers with the Prime Minister in New Delhi , officials stated.
To discuss the proposed forum of effective communication between the Centre and states. In the second session of the meeting, Chief Ministers of States, which have done some good work, were asked to give a presentation on the subject in New Delhi on December 7 last year.Chief Minister Raman Singh gave a detailed presentation, highlighting reforms carried out in each phase of PDS at the meeting.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Ministers, from many States appreciated the PDS of Chhattisgarh, officials stated. Elaborating on the reforms carried out by the State Government, Singh said the Government took the first step towards PDS reform by eliminating middlemen and putting an end to corruption. He said the Government de-privatized all ration shops and handed it to self help groups, gram panchayats, van Suraksha Samitis and other community institutions for smooth functioning.
These institutions were provided with one month ration on credit and Rs75,000 as interest free capital to run these shops. The Government also raised the commission from Rs8 to Rs45 per quintal in order to make it a profitable. Ration shops were opened in each gram panchayat and arrangements were made to provide ration to cardholders on time.
The Chief Minister said that in the second phase the Government focused on bringing transparency in the system, involving public and making it an online system. The Government took various measures such as setting up call centres across the State. Information regarding collection and distribution of ration at ration shops were made available on the website. Rigorous monitoring was done involving creative uses of technology. For instance, a system of “SMS alerts” was launched to inform people of ration movements, and all records pertaining to supplies, sales, timelines, etc. were computerised.
Singh said in the third phase of reform the Government targetted on strengthening the process of paddy procurement. An online system was introduced to ensure procurement of paddy. Arrangement was made to purchase paddy directly from farmers and payment for the same to be made immediately in farmer’s bank account. Paddy procurement has reached to approx. 80 lakh metric tonne last year from 5.87 metric tonne in 2001.
Today, Chhattisgarh has become the third contributor to Centre’s pool after Punjab and Andhra Pradesh. The Supreme Court has also praised our PDS system and asked other states to implement it, he stated. Apart from food, the Government of Chhattisgarh is providing pulse, gram, sugar and iodised salt to beneficiaries to ensure not only food security but also nutrition security in the state, the Chief Minister said.