Government stresses food security for farmers and poor; transparency in paddy procurement and welfare schemes to benefit over 73 lakh ration card holders
TFP Bureau, Raipur, March 10, 2026: The Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly on Tuesday unanimously passed grant demands worth ₹6,216.73 crore for the financial year 2026–27 for the departments under Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Minister Dayal Das Baghel.
Presenting the departmental budget, Minister Baghel said the state government remains committed to ensuring food security for farmers, poor families and consumers, while strengthening transparency in procurement and expanding welfare schemes under the public distribution system.
He informed the House that during the Kharif marketing season 2025–26, the state procured 1.41 crore tonnes of paddy from 25.24 lakh farmers at the minimum support price, with the total procurement value estimated at about ₹33,431 crore. The government, he said, is continuously working to ensure that farmers receive a fair price for their produce.
To enhance transparency in the procurement process, farmers were registered on the AgriStake portal and biometric devices were installed at 2,740 paddy procurement centres across the state, enabling transactions only after biometric authentication.
Baghel said the payment system has also been strengthened, with most farmers receiving payments directly into their bank accounts within 72 hours of selling their paddy. Nearly ₹33,000 crore has been transferred directly to farmers. More than 29 lakh tokens were issued to over 25 lakh farmers under the improved token system, making the procurement process smoother and more systematic.
The minister added that the paddy procured during the 2025–26 season is being rapidly processed through custom milling. As of March 9, 2026, about 9.27 million tonnes, or nearly 66 per cent of the total 14.1 million tonnes of paddy, had been lifted for custom milling.
Under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana within the public distribution system, 73.97 lakh Antyodaya and Priority ration card holders in the state will continue to receive free rice until December 2028. A provision of ₹11,300 crore has been made for the scheme in 2025–26, while ₹5,000 crore has been approved for the Chief Minister’s Foodgrain Assistance Scheme in the 2026–27 budget.
To promote nutritional security, the state government is also providing iodised salt, gram and jaggery along with food grains to ration card holders. Under the salt distribution scheme, 73.62 lakh ration card families receive 2 kg salt per month in scheduled areas and 1 kg in non-scheduled areas. A budget provision of ₹150 crore has been made for the scheme in the financial year 2026–27.
Similarly, 2 kg of gram is being distributed to 31.32 lakh Antyodaya and Priority card holders in 85 Scheduled Development Blocks and 9 MADA areas at a subsidised rate of ₹5 per kg. The government has allocated ₹450 crore for this scheme in 2026–27.
In Bastar division, around 7.75 lakh ration card holders, including Antyodaya, Priority, single destitute and disabled beneficiaries, are receiving 2 kg of jaggery every month at subsidised rates to address iron deficiency. A budget of ₹75 crore has been approved for the jaggery distribution scheme.
The minister said the government is also strengthening the public distribution system by expanding infrastructure. During the year, 181 new fair price shops were opened, 3.32 lakh new ration cards issued, and 6.57 lakh new members added to existing ration cards.
To increase foodgrain storage capacity, the State Warehousing Corporation currently has a storage capacity of 25.31 lakh metric tonnes through its 139 branches. Warehouses with an additional capacity of 1.17 lakh metric tonnes are under construction. The corporation has also installed 210 electronic weighing machines to modernise operations.
Baghel said ₹180 crore has been approved with NABARD assistance for further warehouse construction in the financial year 2026–27. For consumer convenience, the government has also introduced online complaint filing through an e-filing portal, strengthening the state’s consumer protection mechanism.
