Chhattisgarh CM to meet President on Paddy procurement

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel is to meet President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday on the issue of procurement of paddy with an incentive in the state. He will be accompanied by his cabinet colleagues.

The bone of contention between the Centre and the state is paddy price. The Centre wants the state government to procure paddy from farmers on the MSP (minimum support price) of Rs 1,815 per quintal as decided by the Union government. The state government is procuring paddy with an incentive and giving farmers Rs 2,500 per quintal.

The Chief Minister has alleged that Union Government has refused to buy paddy from the state with increased price. The Congress is smelling conspiracy that it is done at the behest of former chief minister Raman Singh. The Congress says that when the incentive scheme was given during BJP government, why it is being withdrawn now?

Earlier, the chief minister had planned a Delhi March along with 20,000 workers to protest against the Union Government but it has been postponed because of imposition of section 144 in many states in the wake of Ayodhya Verdict.IANS