Cash flows for farmers as Raman's rath rolls in Chhattisgarh

The ruling BJP govt in Chhattisgarh had launched the Vikas Yatra from May 6 to showcase its achievement

For the farmers and tendu patta labourers in Chhattisgarh, Raman Singh's Vikas Yatra has more significance. For, a whopping sum of Rs 2238 crore would come to their kitty during the 31-day yatra.

The ruling BJP government in Chhattisgarh had launched the Vikas Yatra from May 6 to showcase its achievement.

The Yatra would conclude on June 20 after Singh travelled around 6100-km in the specially designed Rath.

With the ensuing state polls due in November this year on card, the Yatra had greater political significance that governance. Singh's managers had drawn the strategy to trap the farmers and tendupatta collectors that constituted a significant number in the electorate.

"With the Yatra, the distribution of bonus worth Rs 2238 crore to farmers and tendupatta labourers had started in the state," a government spokesperson told Business Standard.

The authorities had organized well-arranged programme at district level for the distribution.

The state government had announced to give a bonus of Rs 270 for a quintal of paddy procured from the farmers at a minimum support price (MSP).

Though the party had made the commitment in 2008 election manifesto, the state government had failed to provide bonus to the farmers for the last three years.

The farmers would get bonus this year and the state exchequer would bear an additional burden of Rs 1926 crore.

About 1.08 million farmers would be benefitted. Similarly, a bonus of Rs 311.71 crore would be distributed to 1.35 million members engaged in plucking tendupatta in the state.

The bumper paddy production in the state this year however hampered the managers' as the bonus amount went much more than they had expected.

In the Kharif marketing season 2012-13, about 7.13 million tonnes of paddy was procured due to good rainfall while the authorities had expected a yield of about 6.5 million tonnes.