Bhubaneswar, Nov 14: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Thursday said that the State government will pay an additional Rs 800 per quintal of paddy to farmers from this Kharif marketing season.

Addressing a function marking 'All India Cooperative Week 2024' celebration here, the Chief Minister said, “The farmers in Odisha are often affected by different calamities like floods, cyclones, drought, dry spells and pest attacks. They are forced to make distressed sale of paddy. However, the State government will now pay an additional Rs 800 per quintal of paddy to farmers from this this kharif season."

“The farmers of Odisha will now get Rs 3,100 per quintal of paddy. These Rs 3,100 per quintal of paddy comprise Rs 2,300 as the minimum support price (MSP) and an additional Rs 800 as input assistance,” he added.

The Chief Minister also slammed the previous BJD government and accused it of betraying the trust of farmers in the State. The previous BJD government, headed by Naveen Patnaik, was responsible for the miseries of paddy farmers across the State, he alleged.

"Former Chief Minister (Naveen Patnaik) at a farmers rally at Sohela in Bargarh district nine years ago had announced a bonus of Rs 100 per quintal of paddy. This could have been very helpful for poverty-stricken farmers. But, the farmers did not get even Rs 1 as bonus from the government", CM Majhi said.

CM Majhi also alleged that some of the farmers in the state were forced to commit suicide under the debt burden during the BJD government. However, this situation will not occur in Odisha under the BJP government, he claimed,

The kharif paddy procurement will commence from Bargarh district on November 20 followed by Sambalpur on November 22, and then across all districts. From November 20 to December 7, farmers will receive a minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 2,300 per quintal for their paddy.

Later from December 8, the farmers will get the additional amount of Rs 800 after it was launched from Sohela in Bargarh district, the Chief Minister said.

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