BJP protests in farms over paddy procurement, payment to farmers

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers and leaders led by state president Deepak Prakash demonstrated in agriculture fields across the state, accusing the government of failing farmers by not procuring enough paddy and delay in payment against paddy procurement

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers and leaders led by state president Deepak Prakash demonstrated in agriculture fields across the state, accusing the government of failing farmers by not procuring enough paddy and delay in payment against paddy procurement.

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Several members of Parliament, MLAs and senior office bearers of the party joined the protest in their respective constituencies on Friday, even as the ruling party leaders led by agriculture minister Badal Patralekh hit back, reminding the BJP of its government’s performance in agriculture sector in the past.

“This anti-farmer and anti-poor government has cheated people. Last year, despite the Covid-19 crisis, the farmers yielded record paddy. On November 7, the chief minister announced that the government will procure paddy. But within days, state finance minister and Congress chief said they won’t buy paddy as it was not dry. This exposed the government’s claims. Even for the paddy that has been procured, the government has not paid the farmers till now,” said Prakash.

The party chief was addressing farmers and party workers at a protest site in a village under Ranchi’s Kanke block. The BJP leader also accused the state government of discontinuing the pro-farmer scheme of providing ₹25,000 to registered farmers every year of the previous Raghubar Das government.

Reacting to the allegations, state agriculture minister said the saffron party’s leaders need to check the records of their own previous government in providing relief to farmers. “The Raghubar Das government in 2017 and 2018 procured only 53% and 56%, respectively, of the targeted 40 lakh metric tonnes of paddy. After we came to power, we raised the target to 60 lakh metric tonnes for paddy procurement and have exceeded our target to 102%. Most of the payment has also been done, with 50% of the amount paid within a week of procurement. The Food Corporation of India (FCI) owes the state government ₹180 crore, and the finance minister has written to the Centre to disburse the amount so that it could be paid to farmers. Despite that, the state government on Thursday released ₹98 crore from its own account for payment,” Patralekh told media persons.

The minister also underlined that ₹980 crore has been provided to the bank for waiving agriculture loans as promised by the Hemant Soren government. “We have already waived farm loans of 2.46 lakh farmers. As per the updated data, 9.2 lakh farmers are eligible under the farm loan waiver scheme,” said Patralekh.