Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Friday wrote to Union Minister Ramvilas Paswan, requesting him to increase the FCI's rice procurement limit in his state from 24 lakh metric tons to 31.11 lakh metric tons during the current Kharif Marketing Year.
In his letter to the Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution , Chief Minister Baghel said the COVID-19 outbreak in the country has created requirement of rice in other states, due to the FCI had to transport over 92 racks of food grains to other states from Chhattisgarh in April 2020.
This has created empty space in Food Corporation of India's warehouses in Chhattisgarh, he said.
Baghel said for prevention of the COVID-19 pandemic, the state government is making consistent efforts in an integrated manner with awareness and compassion.
"In view of the current circumstances, I would like to draw your attention towards the fact that in Chhattisgarh state, total 83.67 lakh tons of paddy was procured from 18.34 lakh farmers in KMY 2019-20 said Baghel in his letter to paswan.
Paddy procurement and collection of custom milling rice is done in the state as per the MoU signed between Chhattisgarh Government and Government of India's Food and Public Distribution Department," he added.
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Baghel also pointed out that the MoU inked between Chhattisgarh and the Union government's Food and Pubic Distribution Department mandates that the Food Corporation of India should procure all the surplus rice from the state.
He said the Food and Public Distribution Department had given permission to procure 24 lakh tons of Usna rice in 2019-20 under the central pool of FCI.
In Khareef marketing Season 2019-20, out of the 56.51 lakh metric tons of rice produced from the 83.67 lakh tons of paddy procured in Chhattisgarh, state government will procure 25.40 lakh metric tons of rice for PDS requirement of the state (central pool 15.48 lakh metric ton, state pool 9.92 lakh metric ton) and remaining 31.11 metric tons of rice will be surplus.
Out of the remaining 31.11 metric tons of rice, the Government of India will permit FCI to procure 24 lakh metric tons, which will account for only 73.30 lakh metric tons of the procured rice, whereas nearly 10.47 lakh metric tons of paddy (proportionate to 7.11 lakh metric tons of rice) will remain unaddressed, he said.
Accordingly, the chief minister said in his letter that under the circumstances created due to COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown implemented due to the same, will have long-term adverse effect on the economy of the nation as well as the states.
"In this situation, if the surplus rice in Chhattisgarh is not redressed properly, the state may incur losses worth nearly Rs 1,500 crore, which will further adversely impact the economic development of the state in this already critical situation," he said.
Accordingly, Baghel requested Paswan to permit an increase in rice procurement quantity by FCI in Chhattisgarh from 24 lakh metric tons to 31.11 lakh metric tons in Kharif Marketing Year 2019-20.