Baghel-led farmer team to urge PM to procure rice from Chhattisgarh

Raipur: Thousands of Farmers would be heading for New Delhi on November 13 under the leadership of Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel to request the Central government to procure rice from Chhattisgarh for the central pool.

Baghel is also slated to address massive public gatherings at Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister has requested farmers, agriculture related unions and businessmen to write letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to procure rice from Chhattisgarh for the central pool. These letters would be taken in truck with the procession of farmers to be handed over to the Prime Minister.

The Chief Minister will be addressing numerous farmer gatherings in states on the way to Delhi to inform the masses about the works being done for farmer welfare in Chhattisgarh, garnering support for farmers of his state and their cause.

All the parties have also extended support to the state government's demand of paddy procurement at Rs 2,500 per quintal and procurement of rice from Chhattisgarh for the central pool. Farmer unions and farmers have also extended support for state government's stand.

As per the decision taken by the Central government in 20014, rice will not be procured from state governments that provide a bonus against paddy procurement at the support price.

"But despite the decision, the provision was slackened for the last two years and rice was being procured from Chhattisgarh for the central pool. Keeping this in view, the Chhattisgarh government has urged the Prime Minister to slacken the provision for year 2019-20 as well and procure 32 lakh MT of rice from the state as inflow of large quantity of paddy is expected this year," a statement read.