Chhattisgarh paddy farmers have suffered Rs 1200 crore loss, alleges Congress

RAIPUR: Farmers in Chhattisgarh have suffered losses to the tune of Rs 1,200 crore due to the wrong paddy procurement policy of ruling BJP, the Congress alleged today.

"The quantity of paddy procured has drastically dropped in the current crop season in the state due to wrong policies of the state government," State Congress chief Bhupesh Baghel said today.

The state government has procured around 63 lakh metric tonne paddy from farmers in the 2013-14 Kharif season which is 20 lakh tonne less than the procurement recorded last year, he said.

Chief Minister Raman Singh led BJP government had earlier limited the paddy procurement on support price scheme to 10 quintal per acres.

The announcement, sparked protests from farmer associations claiming that it will cause huge losses to the farmers as the paddy production in the state varies between 18 to 20 quintals per acre.

Subsequently, the decision was revised and the CM announced to procure 15 quintals per acre from farmers.

"The BJP government had assured to purchase every single grain of paddy from farmers during the last assembly election but now they turned back from their promise and cheated the innocent peasants," Baghel alleged.

Now the troubled farmers had to sell their produce to the middlemen at the mere rate of Rs 300 and Rs 400. In this way they are facing a huge loss worth Rs 1,200 crore, he further added.

"It is not only the loss of farmers but it will also affect the state's economy. Farmers should have got full return for their production ... then only they will be benefited as well as the state," he said.

He further accused the state government of being indulged in corruption and forming anti-people and anti-farmer policies.