Nod to pay incentive of Rs 15,000 per hectare to paddy producers

The state Cabinet on Tuesday decided to give an incentive of Rs 15,000 per hectare to paddy farmers, while approving an additional expenditure Rs 1,000 crore for the same. Officials said the decision will benefit 5 lakh farmers.

Chief Minister Ekanath Shinde had made an announcement in this regard in the Winter Session of the state legislature in Nagpur last December.

Officials said that during the kharif season of 2022-23, in addition to the guaranteed price approved by the Union government, registered farmers in the state will be given an incentive of Rs 15,000 per hectare. This amount will be given to eligible farmers till 2 hectare of land.

Officials added that last year, during the 2021-22 Kharif season, almost 1.34 crore quintals of paddy was purchased by the government. However, there was no incentive scheme for paddy farmers. However, an incentive of Rs 700 per quintal of paddy was given to farmers in the Kharif season of 2020-21.

This year, while about 5 lakh farmers have registered for the 2022-23 scheme, paddy has been produced on more than 6 lakh hectare.

The Cabinet, meanwhile, decided to expedite the work on 11 barrages coming up on Painganga river under the Vidarbha Irrigation Develop-ment Corporation.

It revised the cost of the project to Rs 787 crore.

This article has been republished from The Indian Express.