BY TC News Desk
Agartala, 19th December 2024: Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath and Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Minister Sushanta Chowdhury inaugurated the paddy procurement drive at Madhav Bari Inter-State Bus Terminus (ISBT) in Jirania on Thursday. The initiative aims to procure 21,000 metric tonnes (MTs) of paddy, with an expenditure of Rs 48 crore across 51 Paddy Procurement Centres (PPCs).
Addressing the ceremony, Minister Nath highlighted the government’s efforts to support farmers. “Till now, 2 lakh 76 thousand farmers in Tripura have received Rs 790 crore through the minimum support price (MSP) fixed by the central government. While the market price for 1 kilogram of paddy is Rs 19, the Food department is procuring it for Rs 23 per kilogram,” he stated.
Nath elaborated on various government initiatives, including building platforms for agricultural markets, distributing equipment and machinery, issuing soil health cards, conducting soil testing, and constructing cold storages. “Tripura is the only state providing fertilizers with subsidies. A total of 3.72 lakh farmers have received loans amounting to Rs 2025 crore,” he added.
The minister also mentioned the central government’s financial assistance of Rs 52 crore for losses incurred by agricultural farmers due to the massive flood in August. “I urge farmers not to leave their lands abandoned and to cultivate any crop. Currently, three districts in Tripura have high-yielding production,” Nath said. He noted the increase in the agriculture budget from Rs 330 crore during the Left Front government’s regime to Rs 539 crore now. “Before 2018, farmers’ income was Rs 6,580, and now it stands at Rs 13,580,” he remarked.
Minister Nath commended Minister Chowdhury for his dedication to the state’s development and urged the electorates of Majlishpur assembly constituency to support him. “Ek Majlishpur, Shrestha Majlishpur,” he declared.
Minister Chowdhury, speaking at the event, emphasized the government’s commitment to farmers’ welfare since 2018. “We honor farmers as the providers of food. This year, we are starting from Madhavbari ISBT, covering the entire state with 51 paddy procurement centers. Over the next month, we aim to procure 21,000 MT of paddy,” he said.
Chowdhury acknowledged the significant losses suffered by farmers due to the August flood and highlighted the coordinated efforts of the Agriculture and Food Departments. “This year, the minimum support price is Rs 23 per kilogram, up from Rs 21.23 last year. As long as our government is in power, paddy procurement will continue uninterrupted,” he assured.
Reflecting on the past, Chowdhury criticized the previous state government’s lack of support for farmers. “Before 2018, farmers had to protest with flags in hand, claiming that the central government wasn’t taking any initiatives. However, after the BJP government came to power, we decided to procure paddy under the DCP mode,” he explained. “So far, paddy worth Rs 397 crore has been procured, benefiting over 1,07,000 farmers. Through the PM-Kisan scheme, farmers are receiving Rs 2,000 three times a year,” he added.
Director of Food Department Sumit Lodh welcomed the dignitaries and provided an overview of the paddy procurement process. “Since December 2018, the government has been continuously procuring paddy from farmers in the ‘Kharif’ and ‘Rabi’ seasons. This time, it will continue till February 08, 2024, in 51 PPCs across the state,” he said.
Director of Agriculture Department Saradindu Das highlighted the cultivation of hybrid paddy in 28 hectares of land across the state, with farmers receiving Rs 9,000 as an annual subsidy.
The event was presided over by Chairman of Jirania Nagar Panchayat Ratan Kumar Das and attended by Chairman of Jirania Panchayat Samiti Pritam Debnath, Vice-Chairman of Ranirbazar Municipal Council Prabir Kumar Das, and social workers Gouranga Bhowmik and Partha Sarathi Saha.
