Nitish Kumar hikes paddy bonus, make MSP on paddy highest in country

PATNA: The Bihar government today announced an increase of Rs 250 per quintal bonus on procurement of paddy pushing the MSP to Rs 1560 a quintal, highest in the country.

The decision to increase bonus on paddy for farmers was taken at a meeting of the state cabinet presided over by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

The price for purchase of paddy this year was initially fixed at Rs 1310 per quintal.

Chief Secretary Ashok Kumar Sinha told reporters the hike was aimed at encouraging farmers who cultivated paddy in the state despite an adverse weather.

He said farmers who sold their paddy produce prior to this hike, would also be benefited as additional sums would be paid to them.

Asked about the paddy production volume in the state this year, he said a final figure was not yet arrived at, but it might fall short of last year's production figures.

In another significant decision, the cabinet approved a proposal to recruit the father of a girl, who was gang-raped twice and later allegedly burnt alive in West Bengal, as a driver in the police force after conducting a driving test.

Kumar had last week offered the job to the victim's father, who hails from Samastipur, when he had come here to meet him with his wife.