THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Calling the union government's instruction to take down the additional bonus provided to paddy farmers 'bizarre', Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan criticised the centre's instruction to take down the same. "The centre's bizarre stand of increasing paddy production being a liability to the society is a challenge to the farmers," the CM said in a statement.
Pinarayi was responding to a letter given to the Chief Secretary by the National Financial Expenditure Secretary, which states that since paddy production is in surplus, the procurement expense will be a liability to the treasury.
"When the state government holds the farmers close by providing a bonus over the minimum support price set by the union government, why is the centre disturbed?" the CM said.
Pointing out that the state is providing Rs 6.31 per kg as the additional sum for paddy procurement, the CM also criticised that those who do not refrain from waiving off crores of loans taken by corporates are trying to portray this bonus as a financial liability.
"Pressurising the state to relook the bonus policy by depicting surplus production as a liability reflects envy not just to the farmers but also to this land," the CM said in his release.
Pinarayi also remarked that the centre should reveal if this is the first step of the Indo-US trade deal to open up Indian markets to American agricultural products.