Cong to govt: Include past 5-yr paddy bonus in budget

Raipur, February 04, 2013

Raipur, Feb 04: Congress has asked the government to include past five-year paddy bonus of the farmers (at the rate of Rs 270 per quintal) in upcoming state budget. “The government should make separate provision of this pending bonus amount in the budget,” said PCC president Nandkumar Patel and CLP leader Ravindra Choubey.

The duo also demanded procurement of paddy produced under Rabi crops at minimum support price (MSP).

“The Centre has clearly instructed the states to purchase farmers’ paddy at MSP throughout the year. Since the Chhattisgarh government does not procure paddy grown under Rabi crops, the farmers have to sell their paddy at random rates that are much low than MSP,” they said.

They informed that the state farmers annually produce about five lakh quintal paddy during Rabi season. “With no arrangement by the government to procure this paddy through cooperative societies at MSP, the farmers incur loss of over Rs 250 crore every tears,” they said.

Expressing their concern towards paddy being stored in open at godowns, the duo alleged that despite procuring paddy every year the government did not take initiative to make adequate safety arrangements for arriving corps.