Amid the government’s plan to procure 40,000 metric tonnes of paddy at a minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 21.83 per kilogramme from 49 centres starting December 11, the state committee of the All-India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) has called for an intervention to revisit the MSP and expand procurement centres, particularly in tribal-dominated areas.
At a press conference on Thursday, Pabitra Kar, the leader of the AIKS state committee, voiced worries about the proposed MSP. He said that farmers would suffer losses as a result of it lacking the C2+50 requirement, which is 1.5 times the input cost and was previously accepted by PM Modi prior to 2014.
Kar stated, “We approached the minister on Thursday, urging the government to reassess the MSP based on the C2+50 criterion and ensure an increase in farmers’ income in the state.” He added that the minister acknowledged their request and committed to discussing the matter with the Chief Minister.
The AIKS committee reviewed the MSP and proposed an adjustment to approximately Rs. 28.50 per kilogramme, advocating for a more favourable rate to benefit farmers.
Additionally, the committee demanded an expansion of procurement centres, noting that several areas were excluded from the list of 49 centres recently announced by the government.
“We demanded the government set up paddy procurement centres in all 58 blocks of the state, including tribal-dominated regions,” Kar conveyed to reporters. He added that the minister responded positively to their request, assuring a thorough examination of the matter and potential increases in paddy procurement in the next session.
