Welcoming the Rs60 hike in the paddy support price by the UPA-led central Government, working president of Chhattisgarh State Congress Committee and union state minister for agriculture Dr Charandas Mahant, ClP leader Ravindra Choubey and state Congress programme coordinator Bhupesh Baghel said, now, the BJP should have to fulfil the promise it had made during the 2008 assembly election to give Rs 270 paddy bonus to the farmers.
They said that the Congress-led Central government has taken this step in the interest of paddy producer farmers and the farmers of Chhattisgarh. The UPA-I government had increased Rs 450 in the support price of paddy and the UPA-II Rs 410, which is 138.18 per cent hike in the interest of farmers and a record, whereas, the NDA government led by the BJP had increased only Rs 60 in the support price of paddy, which is only 10.9 per cent, they added.
The Congress leaders said that these figures were a living example of the Congress’ pro-farmer and the BJP’s anti-farmer and anti-paddy attitude. They said that this year total 60 lakh tonne paddy has been purchased on support price in Chhattisgarh. With the hike of Rs 60, the farmers would get Rs 36 crore additional benefit, they added.
According to a party press statement issued here on Friday, during the NDA regime from 1999-2004 only Rs 60 hike was made in the support price of paddy from Rs 490 to 550 per quintal, whereas, during UPA-I, from 2004 to 2009, Rs 450 had been increased from Rs 550 to Rs 900 quintal and during UPA-II from 2009-2013, Rs 410 from Rs 900 to 1310 per quintal.
The Congress leaders said that the BJP government in Chhattisgarh had swindled the farmers by promising to give bonus Rs 270 per quintal paddy during the 2008 assembly election and did not give so far. Accusing the BJP government of forgery with the farmers, the Congress leaders said that in accordance to the Central government, the state government should immediately fulfil its promise it had made in its 2008 election manifesto to give Rs 270 bonus for the last
five years.
According to its promise, the BJP state government should immediately give total Rs 3880 crore paddy bonus for the last five years to the farmers of the state, the Congress leaders demanded.