Chhattisgarh to reward whistleblowers of illegal paddy procurement with cash

Eyeing to get a cash reward from the Chhattisgarh Government? Please provide tip off about the paddy coming from the neighbouring states illegally in the procurement centres set up in the state.

The Chhattisgarh government had decided to give cash reward to a person who provided leads to the authorities about the illegal arrival of paddy from the neighbouring states. The move is aimed to check the paddy from other states being sold illegally in the procurement centres in Chhattisgarh.

The state had started paddy procurement from November 5 for the procurement season 2011-12. In all 1883 paddy procurement centres had been set up across the state. The centres would work under the primary cooperative society at the village level. Chhattisgarh has set a target to procure 5.5 million tonnes (MT) of paddy from the farmers this year.

“The district collector of the bordering district should announce a cash reward for the person providing information about illegal arrival of paddy from the neighbouring states,” Chief Minister Raman Singh said. The government had also announced severe measures to check the illegal practice.

The middlemen from the neighbouring states transport paddy illegally to state’s centres and sell the produce at the Minimum Support Price (MSP). The practice was at peak when the government was providing a bonus of Rs 270 for a quintal till last year on paddy procured in state’s centre. This year, the state government had not announced the bonus.

This year, the farmers would get Rs 1080 for a quintal of common variety paddy and Rs 1111 for a quintal of A grade paddy.

Singh said that the vehicles engaged in the transportation of paddy from the neighbouring states would also be seized. “The government wishes to buy the paddy produced by the state’s farmers and will not entertain any lapse on the system,” he added.