Chhattisgarh CM urges Centre to raise rice procurement limit

In a letter to Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Piyush Goyal, Baghel said that if the Centre does not allow an increase in the Food Corporation of India's (FCI) rice procurement limit in the ongoing season, the state is likely to suffer losses worth Rs 2,500 crore.

New Delhi: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Friday urged the Centre to raise the state's rice procurement limit under the central pool to 40 lakh metric tonnes, from the current 24 lakh metric tonnes, during the current Kharif marketing season in the interest of farmers.

In a letter to Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Piyush Goyal, Baghel said that if the Centre does not allow an increase in the Food Corporation of India's (FCI) rice procurement limit in the ongoing season, the state is likely to suffer losses worth Rs 2,500 crore.

While speaking to media, CM Bhupesh Baghel said, "The hopes, with which we had come here, are not being fulfilled. The central government has already permitted the procurement of 60 lakh metric tonnes. The Union Minister didn't accept our demand because we have Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana in the state."

"We mentioned that like the way you are giving Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, we are giving Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana. There is some confusion over the matter, which needs to be clarified. So he has asked for the second round of meeting after February 15," he further added.

During the meeting, Baghel stated that the Centre should give permission for the procurement of 40,00,000 metric tons of rice in the FCI at the earliest, as 92 lakh metric tons of paddy have been procured from 20.53 lakh farmers on the support price in Chhattisgarh during the last Kharif season under the decentralised procurement scheme.

He maintained that the Food Department has been allowed by the Government of India to take only 24 lakh metric tonnes of rice in the Food Corporation of India in the Kharif year 2020-21.

The state PDS will require 20 lakh metric tons of rice and in addition to this, the stock of 3,00,000 metric tons of rice will be kept by civil supplies Corporation.

In this way it will be possible to dispose of 70.50 lakh metric tonnes of paddy from 47 lakh metric tonnes of rice which are being acquired, he asserted.