Raipur, Jan 4 (PTI) The ruling Congress in Chhattisgarh on Monday accused the BJP of "hatching" a conspiracy to hamper the paddy procurement process at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) by spreading "false" information that the state government has been giving incentive to paddy growers on purchasing their produce.

The Congress also slammed the Centre's decision on Sunday allowing Chhattisgarh to deliver only 24 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of rice in the Central pool as against the previous "in-principle approval" to accept 60 lakh MT rice from the state.

On Sunday, the Union government restricted the quantity of kharif rice accepted from Chhattisgarh in the Central pool at the last year's level of 24 lakh MT, saying the state government is found to be giving financial incentives to paddy cultivators.

"BJP leaders from Chhattisgarh have been giving false information to the Centre that the state has been giving bonus to farmers on paddy procurement. It is their conspiracy to disrupt paddy procurement drive," Chhattisgarh Congress president Mohan Markam said in a press conference here.

The Congress had alleged that the Food Corporation of India's Chhattisgarh unit was not lifting rice stocks and asked whether the procurement was "halted" because the government's "suit-boot friends" were not involved in managing storage in the state.

In a statement on Sunday, the Centre said it had decided to allow 24 lakh tonnes of rice to be delivered to FCI under central pool during the 2020-21 kharif marketing season (KMS) which is equivalent to the quantity as allowed in previous years.

"Why the Centre has been asking whether the state government is giving bonus to farmers through Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojna (RGKNY) even after the latter has clarified that cash benefit under the scheme is not a bonus but it is an input support being given to cultivators based on the area of farm land possessed by them," Markam said.

He said the Centre's decision to allow to "deliver only 24 lakh MT rice against the promise to lift 60 lakh MT rice from Chhattisgarh in the central pool through the FCI is anti-farmer".

"The Centre is now acting at the behest of the state BJP and is trying to hamper paddy procurement drive in the state," he alleged.

Markam alleged BJP leaders and MPs have mislead the Union government "by portraying the input support of Rs 10,000 per acre given under RGKNY as a bonus against paddy procurement", which he said resulted into the Centre cutting down the state's quota to 24 lakh MT rice.

He demanded that the Centre accept 60 lakh MT rice as promised earlier from the state.

Markam also asked BJP leaders to clarify whether they do not want the paddy, maize and sugarcane cultivators to be benefited with the RGKNY scheme.

Senior BJP MLA and party's Chhattisgarh unit vice president Shivratan Sharma said the Congress was levelling baseless charges to hide its failure.

"If the Congress was so concerned about farmers, it would have made early preparation for paddy procurement. When farmers are in trouble now, they have resorted to spreading apprehensions and doing politics on the issue," Sharma said.

The Union Food Ministry had also said that it follows a "uniform policy" for food grains procurement across the country.

The Chhattisgarh government on December 17, 2020 published an advertisement mentioning that it will procure paddy from farmers at Rs 2,500 per quintal during the 2020-21 Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) by paying Rs 10,000 per acre through the RGKNY, it said.

This is a form of indirect incentive over and above the minimum support price (MSP) which is as good as a bonus on procurement of paddy, the Food ministry had said.

"Accordingly, the Centre has decided to allow 24 lakh tonnes of rice to be delivered to the state-agency Food Corporation of India (FCI) under central pool during the 2020 -21 KMS which is equivalent to the quantity as allowed in previous years," it added.

In the KMS 2018-19, the ruling Congress in Chhattisgarh had procured paddy from farmers at Rs 2,500 per quintal, which was much more than the MSP fixed by the Centre.

The Centre had then refused to increase the state's quota of rice in its pool.

In the KMS 2019-20, the state government procured paddy at the MSP fixed by the Centre and launched RGKNY scheme, saying it will give Rs 10,000 per acre to farmers as an input support.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)