Buoyant with the abundant paddy yield this year State Government has announced that the farmers will be paid Rs 1600 per quintal for paddy in State.
In a meeting with Food and PDS Minister Saryu Roy, Agriculture Minister Randhir Kumar Singh, Chief Secretary Rajbala Verma, Additional CS Amit Khare, Agriculture Secretary Nitin Madan Kulkarni and others, CM Raghubar Das on Wednesday said that bonus would also be given to the farmers.
The CM directed to work according to plan so that maximum farmers can get benefit of the scheme. Farmers should be registered by conducting camps and make them aware about it. He said more purchasing centres should be opened in those districts where paddy has been produced in abundance. The DAOs (district agriculture officers) should make teams of cooperative and supply officers and coordinate. The farmers should not be vexed at any cost. The Ministers should also go on spot and review the situation, he added.
The Chief Minister also directed to make long time scheme to produce as much rice as purchased for MDM and BPl families. Food and PDS secretary Vinay Kumar Choubey highlighted the Government had targeted to purchase 4 lakh metric tonnes of paddy. Around 2.5 lakh metric tonnes paddy was bought last year. As many as 44 thousands farmers have been registered and the Government targeted to register 55 thousand farmers more by March, 2017. The registered farmers are informed through MMS.
Meanwhile, reviewing the Agriculture Department, Chief Secretary Rajbala Verma said paddy procurement should be started in 20 days and all the seed producing farmers should be paid within 48 hours of seed procurement. She said seed farmers should be corresponded and Aadhar and account number of those farmers should be collected before seed procurement for payment purpose.
Verma said seed storage should be ascertained properly at Marketing Board godowns so that they are not spoiled. They should be tagged also. As many as three lakh quintal seeds have been produced and harvesting has been completed. It was also suggested to re-evaluate the Food and Seed Corporation to make them accountable and in remaining seed villages, summer kidney beans should be produced.
The CS directed that in the forthcoming budget, special crop scheme has been provisioned. These schemes should be made for agro-produces suiting the particular areas.