RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh government reiterated to procure the paddy at Rs 2500/- per quintal even as the Centre appeared reluctant on increasing the quota on procuring of rice from the state.
“The state cabinet has decided to go ahead procuring the paddy at Rs 2500 per quintal from the farmers irrespective of the stands taken by the Central government. And the process will start from December 1 instead of November 15 owing to the extended span of rainfall experienced in most parts of the state this year,” the state food minister Amarjeet Bhagat said. The procurement will continue till February 15.
The state government has been attempting to impress upon the Centre the "pressing needs" of Chhattisgarh to allow for contributing the surplus rice, after the public distribution system in the state, to be taken up by the Central Pool by relaxing the conditions in the Memorandum of Understanding on transferring the excess rice to the Food Corporation of India (FCI).
The state government has set the paddy procurement target of over 85 lakh metric ton during the current Kharif season 2019-20 and seeks to provide surplus rice for meeting the requirement under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) through the FCI.
Earlier the state chief minister had written to the prime minister Narendra Modi twice with a plea to enhance the procurement of rice by the Centre. Baghel also met the union food minister Ram Vilas Paswan seeking to enhance the annual quota by the Centre from 24 to 32 lakh metric ton for Chhattisgarh state during the current Kharif year. Governor Anusuiya Uike too has extended her support on the issue of paddy procurement in Chhattisgarh state.