On the first day of paddy procurement season, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel visited to various procurement centers at Aundhi and Jamgaon-M in Patan block of Durg district and inspected the arrangements there.
During the inspection, he instructed the officials and employees engaged in the drive to ensure hassle free procurement process. He reiterated that farmers interests should be taken care of and they should not feel harassed at any stage of the procurement process.
Baghel also enquired the wellbeing of the farmers who had come to the Mandis for selling their product and assured them that the government would look after their convenience.
Later at procurement centre Tarra, the chief minister assured the farmers that soon the ‘difference amount’ of Rs 2500 per quintal of paddy and its MSP would be provided to them by formulating a scheme.
According to official sources procurement of paddy is on in all the districts across the state for this Kharif season by Chhattisgarh State Cooperative Marketing Federation (MARKFED) at 1995 procurement centers across the state.
In current season for Kharif year 2019-20 a total of 19.56 lakh farmers have registered their names in the societies and 15 quintal paddy per acre of land would be procured from them.
Sources further informed that the state government had set a target of procuring 85 lakh metric ton of paddy this Kharif season and the procurement process would continue till February 15, 2020.