CM has no right to demand paddy bonus from Centre: Cong

Raipur, December 03, 2011

The Congress on Saturday said that Chief Minister Raman Singh had no right to demand paddy bonus from Centre as by doing this he was trying to distract state farmers for whom the opposition had been mounting pressure on the ruling BJP to disburse Rs 270 paddy bonus, the promise it made during its 2008 election manifesto. Notably, the CM had recently demanded from Union Food Minister KV Thomas to either hike paddy MSP or to give paddy bonus to the farmers during his New Delhi visit.

“There is no need to make such demands from the Centre. Even by fulfilling its poll promise the BJP government would do great help to the farmers,” said former PCC president Dhanendra Sahu, party vice president Pushpa Devi Singh, TS Singhdeo, Baijnath Chandrakar, party’s chief spokesperson Shailesh Nitin Trivedi and others on Saturday.

 “In 2008-09, the farmers received Rs 220 bonus against per quintal of paddy, i.e. Rs 50 less from the promise made by the government. The total paddy procured in 2008-09 was 35 lakh tonne. Considering payment of 35 lakh tone at the rate of Rs 50 per quintal, the farmers did not receive Rs 175 crore in that financial year,” the Congress leaders said.

“Similarly, in 2009-10 and 2010-11, the government disbursed Rs 50 paddy bonus. So, in both fiscals, the farmers incurred loss of Rs 220 paddy bonus. In 2009-10, the government procured 45 lakh tonne paddy. Hence, the farmers’ loss at the rate of Rs 220 per quintal for 45 lakh tonne paddy was Rs 990 crore. While the total paddy procurement in 2010-11 was 51 lakh tonne and the farmers’ loss at the rate of Rs 220 per quintal for this amount was Rs 1122 crore,” they said.

“In three years, the farmers received the total of Rs 320 bonus and are yet to get Rs 760 bonus which amounts to Rs 2287 crore,” they said.

The Congress leaders further said that the BJP-led NDA government at Centre had hiked paddy MSP by only Rs 50 in five years of its regime while the Congress-led UPA government had increased the paddy MSP by Rs 500 in its five years of tenure. “This proves that the BJP is anti-farmer while the Congress has always been well-wisher of the farmers,” they said.