Paddy purchase to kick off from Sohela, says Odisha deputy CM Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo
BHUBANESWAR: Even as the state government is yet announce the food and procurement policy for kharif marketing season 2024-25, deputy chief minister and Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo on Thursday said the purchase of paddy will start from Sohela block in Bargarh district to remind the previous government about its failed promises to the farmers.
Talking to reporters after addressing a meeting of farm machinery manufacturers here, Singh Deo said the present leader of Opposition and then chief minister Naveen Patnaik at a public meeting in Sohela in 2015 had promised the farmers to pay a bonus of Rs 100 per quintal of paddy over and above the minimum support price (MSP). But his government never fulfilled it.
In sharp contrast, the BJP in its first cabinet meeting after coming to power fulfilled its commitment to provide a bonus of Rs 800 per quintal of paddy. A budgetary provision of Rs 5,000 crore has been made under Samruddha Krushak Yojana for purchase of paddy at Rs 3,100 per quintal, he said.
“We have chosen Sohela to start the paddy procurement operation just to remind the BJD that BJP will keep all promises made to the people. The previous government could not provide a bonus of Rs 100 per quintal of paddy to the farmers but we are going to give them an additional Rs 800 over the MSP,” Singh Deo said.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who reviewed the preparation for implementation of the enhanced MSP for paddy recently, said his government has set a target to procure one crore tonne of paddy from farmers from November 1 at a support price of Rs 3,100 per quintal.
Singh Deo further informed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release the 18th instalment of PM Kisan Yojana on October 5. Various programmes will be organised at the district level for farmers on that day, he said.
The minister said he had an engaging discussion with the agriculture machinery manufacturers ahead of the Krushi Jantrapati Mela 2024. The department is determined in its mission to revolutionise farm mechanization in the state, he stated.