Agartala, Jun 10, 2024, TRIPURATIMES Desk
Agartala, June 10: The Tripura government decided to procure 15,000 MT paddy directly from the local farmers at Minimum Support Price of Rs. 21.83 per kg this Rabi season, Minister for Food Sushanta Chowdhury said on Monday.
Addressing a press conference at the civil secretariat, he said, the paddy procurement drive will commence across 31 blocks of six districts on June 15 next. A virtual meeting was held on Monday along with all the officials concerned for the paddy procurement drive.
The inaugural ceremony will be held at Jolaibari in South Tripura district in presence of Minister for Agriculture Ratanlal Nath, Minister for Food Sushanta Chowdhury and Minister Shukla Charan Noatia along with other officials.
He said, the state government has been procuring paddy at MSP from the farmers twice in a year since formation of the new government in 2018.
“As of now, the state government procured total 1,92,052 MT paddy benefitting 1,00,309 farmers; they received an amount of Rs. 372 crore from this paddy procurement drive,” the Food minister said. He said the present state government is committed towards doubling the farmers’ income. He appealed to all the farmers to further strengthen the initiative.
The Food minister said, earlier the paddy procurement drives were held in Sub-Divisional level but this time the initiative would be implemented in the block level, considering the transportation cost of the farmers. He also said, from now onwards the farmers would get the MSP within a day.
Chowdhury said, he chaired a virtual meeting with all SDMs, BDOs, Agriculture Deputy Directors and other concerned officers on Monday to review the preparedness for the upcoming paddy procurement drive.
Meanwhile, Chowdhury also added that in view of the increased transportation cost, the Food department purchased five new goods laden lorries at an expenditure of Rs. 1.86 crore. The new vehicles would be flagged-off from the central store, A.D. Nagar on Tuesday.
He said, along with the existing 17 trucks, the new lorries would further strengthen the transportation management.
Special Secretary to Food department Raval Hamendra Kumar, Director Nirmal Adhikary and Deputy Director Animesh Debbarma were also present in the press conference.