BY TC News Desk
Agartala, January 03: Food Minister Sushanta Chowdhury on Wednesday inaugurated a paddy purchase center at the inter-state truck terminus at Madhavbari in Jirania, where the government will buy paddy from farmers at a subsidized price. He said that the BJP government, which came to power in 2018, has worked towards doubling the income of farmers, unlike the previous government that cheated them for 25 years.
He said that the state government is developing modern agricultural infrastructure in every sub-division, providing farmers with everything from machinery to seeds, and opening Krishak Bandhu Kendra and Krishak Gyan Arjan Kendra to offer proper guidance. He also said that the government is ensuring that the farmers get the right price for their produce, and that the Chief Minister Professor (Dr.) Manik Saha is always sympathetic to the farmers.
He claimed that the farmers get a much higher price from the government paddy purchase center than from the open market, and that the government is procuring paddy at the rate of Rs 2183 per quintal. He said that the government has set a target of purchasing 50,000 metric tonnes of paddy from farmers this year, and instructed the officers to prevent any harassment of the farmers.
He sarcastically remarked that during the Left regime, the farmers only demanded that the government should buy their rice, and protested on the streets. But after the BJP government was formed, the decision to purchase farmers’ rice was taken in the first cabinet meeting and implemented swiftly.
