TFP Bureau, Raipur, November 17, 2024: State Congress President Deepak Baij has strongly criticized the BJP-led government for its decision not to buy paddy from seed-producing farmers at the support price. Baij claims that the government’s new instructions are part of a series of excuses aimed at reducing paddy procurement from farmers across Chhattisgarh.
The government has issued a directive preventing the purchase of paddy from farmers involved in seed production, whether they are registered with government seed corporations or private institutes. The new rule applies to farmers whose names appear on the list of seed producers, which has been displayed at local procurement centers. Baij argues that this move is detrimental to farmers, particularly those with small plots of land dedicated to seed production.
“Farmers who have registered only a small portion of their land for seed production—be it 1, 2, 5, or 10 hectares—are now being denied the ability to sell their remaining paddy at the procurement centers,” Baij said. “This decision is wrong and will cause unnecessary hardship to farmers who are simply trying to sell their crop.”
According to Baij, the government should allow these farmers to sell paddy from the areas not registered as seed production land. He criticized the government’s stance, stating that this decision represents a direct attack on the livelihoods of farmers, further deepening the distress caused by the BJP government.
Baij also pointed out the ongoing issues at paddy procurement centers, where a lack of proper storage, shortages of gunny bags, and delays in issuing tokens have led to confusion and frustration among farmers. He highlighted that 80% of the paddy harvesting has been completed, but the situation at procurement centers remains chaotic. Furthermore, he claimed that about 26 lakh quintals of paddy from last season had spoiled due to poor transportation arrangements, causing significant financial losses to cooperatives.
“The BJP government is creating obstacles at every step to prevent farmers from selling their paddy,” Baij added, stressing that the poor conditions of cooperative societies and the failure of the government to provide proper infrastructure are directly harming Chhattisgarh’s farmers.
