Bengal set to procure 52L metric tonne of paddy, increases MSP by Rs 50 per quintal
Kolkata: The Mamata Banerjee government is initiating paddy procurement from November 2 at an increased minimum support price (MSP).
The state government has set a target of procuring 52 lakh metric tonne paddy in the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) that started from October 1 and will continue till September 30 of the next year.
Besides increasing the MSP, the state government has also taken a landmark decision of raising the ceiling of paddy procurement limit from each farmer to 90 quintal. It was 45 quintal last year.
This year the state Food and Supplies department has announced "MSP of the KMS is Rs 1,868 per quintal and an incentive of Rs 20 per quintal will be given to all farmers if she or he sells paddy in the centralised procurement centres (CPCs) and direct purchase centres (DPCs)."
According to a senior official of the state government, last year the minimum support price was Rs 1,818 per quintal. Keeping the present situation in mind when farmers passed through a distress situation due to Covid, the minimum support price has been increased by Rs 50 per quintal besides introducing many new aspects to make the procurement process easier for farmers.
It needs a mention that minimum support price for paddy fixed by the Centre is also Rs 1868 per quintal in 2020-21.
At least 48.5 lakh metric tonne paddy was procured from 14.45 lakh farmers in the last KMS. These farmers do not have to go for registration again for selling their produce in this season.
But they can update data like phone number, bank account details if needed. With a special drive by the state Food and Supplies department during Covid, 18 lakh metric tonne paddy was procured during the boro season that is from
March to September.
It was only 5 to 6 lakh metric tonne in 2019.
Registration of farmers to sell out their produce has begun from October 1 at 293 CPCs while the paddy procurement at the same centres will begin from November 2 and will gain pace from mid-November. Farmers are requested to carry voter id (EPIC), bank passbook, details of land and Aadhaar. Subsequently, the number of registration and procurement centres will be increased to 350.
Moreover, this time sanghas and mahasanghas of self help groups and Farmers Producers' Organisation (FPO) will be holding camps at villages to procure paddy.
Farmers can also go for registration through Khadyasathi Annadatri Mobile App or by visiting the website www.procurement.wbfood.in. This time one person from a village can help 20 farmers to get registered from his or her mobile phone.
The amount will get directly transferred to the bank account of farmers within three days they sell their produce.
The state Food and Supplies department had last time set a record by crediting benefits to 99.9 percent famers account within three days of their sale and 99.97 per cent farmers within five days.
When contacted, Parwez Ahmad Siddiqui, Secretary of the Food and Supplies Department, said: "Our aim is to ensure that farmers do not face any inconvenience and to check distress sale. We are grateful to farmers for strengthening our hands in distributing free-of-cost entitled ration to 10.15 crore people at the critical time of Covid. The same will continue till June 2020 as announced by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee."
