Ranchi Jul 5 : Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das extended his gratitude towards Prime Minister Narendra for announcing a steep increase in Minimum Support Price for Kharif crops and said that the move will benefit 20 lakh farmers of Jharkhand.
Addressing a press conference at the project building here he said that the Union Cabinet led by Prime Minister Modi has taken a very big decision to increase the MSP on paddy and other Kharif crops he said that on behalf of the farmers of the state he would like to thank the Prime Minister for this decision. He said that the decision to increase MSP on paddy and other Kharif crops will benefit 20 lakh farmers of Jharkhand and they will be able to get additional Rs 1022 crore.
Mr Das said that after years a decision has been taken in the interest of the farmers and the decision of the central government will help in economic empowerment upliftment of the farmers. He said that to make sure that the farmers are able to get MSP for the crops announced the state government was procuring paddy from them. He said that the Central government for the year 2017-18 had announced MSP for paddy at Rs 1,550 over which the state government was giving a bonus of Rs 150.
He said that the MSP for paddy has been increased from Rs 1550 to Rs 1750 while that for Maize from Rs 1425 to Rs 1700, Arhar from Rs 5450 to Rs 5675, Moong from Rs 5575 to Rs 6975, Urad from Rs 5400 to Rs 5600 , Ragi from Rs 1900 to Rs 2897 and for Groundnut Rs 4450 to Rs 4890.
He said that after coming to power his government has focused on increasing irrigation capacity in the state and has dug up 6 lakh dhobas while under agriculture department 2000 big ponds including those on private land is being renovated and so far 700-800 ponds have been renovated. Mr Das said yesterday in the meeting with Niti Aayog he said that the state was backward in the area of irrigation and asked for special grant from the center for 10 big irrigation projects of the state.