THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Terming the Union government’s instruction to take down the additional bonus provided to paddy farmers “bizarre”, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in a statement that the “stand of increasing paddy production being a liability to society is a challenge to farmers”.
Pinarayi was responding to a letter the national financial expenditure secretary had written to the chief secretary, which stated 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 chief minister asked.
Pointing out that the state is providing Rs 6.31 per kg as the additional sum for paddy procurement, Pinarayi also said that those who do not refrain from waiving off crores of loans taken by corporates are trying to portray the 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,” Pinarayi said in his statement.
He 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.