Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting hike in support price of paddy to Rs 2,500 per quintal in the year 2019-20 in larger interest of farmers.
Baghel has sought permission for State Government to procure paddy at this price, in case the Central Government increase minimum support price as mentioned.
Chief Minister has also requested permission to procure 32 lakh metric tons of rice in the Food Corporation of India (FCI).
"Procurement from farmers of Chhattisgarh in the upcoming Kharif marketing year 2019-20 will be commenced from November 15 and necessary arrangement for the same have also been done," Baghel wrote in the letter.
"Earlier also FCI had been including surplus rice of Kharif season in the central pool. Because of which it became possible to procure paddy from farmers of even the remote areas at support price, and also after custom milling of paddy, procurement of rice by FCI enabled the important contribution of the state in meeting requirement of rice for the National Food Security Act (NFSA)," he added.
Chief Minister stated that he had written a letter to Union Food Minister in September month, requesting procurement of surplus 32 LMT rice in Food Corporation of India in Kharif year 2019-20.
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"There is hardly any time left for paddy procurement to begin. Hence, I request you to consider the aforementioned matter on a compassionate note in the larger interest of the farmers and to issue necessary guidelines for providing permission to procure 32LMT rice in FCI in Kharif year 2019-20 to meet rice requirement under NFSA as soon as possible," Baghel wrote in the letter.
In July also, Baghel had written a letter requesting a hike in support price of paddy to Rs 2500 per quintal in Kharif year 2019-20. Previously as well, he had stated in the letter that if in any case, Government of India is unable to hike minimum support price of paddy, then State Government should be allowed to procure paddy at this price under decentralized foodgrains procurement scheme.