‘Reconsider procurement target of rice’: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister to Centre

RAIPUR:  Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, expressing concerns over the reduction in the allocated target for rice procurement for the central pool from the state, has written to the Union Minister of Food and Public Distribution Piyush Goyal to reconsider the Centre’s decision.

Last month, the BJP in Chhattisgarh found strong reason to take credit after the Modi-led Centre gave the consent letter to Chhattisgarh to buy 86.5 lakh metric tons (LMT) of rice in the upcoming Kharif marketing season from the state. The opposition has welcomed the Centre’s decision in an attempt to woo the paddy farmers in the state ahead of the Assembly polls.

The CM cited the proceedings of the meeting of the food secretaries convened by the Government of India on August 21 this year when the estimated paddy procurement in the state for the years 2023-24 has been revised to 86.5 LMT of produced rice.

To justify the stand of the government, Baghel said, “The state has decided to increase the procurement limit for paddy to 20 quintals per acre from the earlier 15 quintals per acre in response to demands from the farmers’ group.”