Chhattisgarh govt to release pending paddy bonus to 27 lakh farmers in February

Raipur, Jan 19 (PTI) The Chhattisgarh government on Sunday decided to release the pending bonus to over 27 lakh paddy farmers in the state next month, an official said.

The decision was taken at the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai here, he said.

“The farmers have till now received Rs 2,300 as the support price of paddy per quintal against the price of Rs 3,100 per quintal announced. Now, 27.68 lakh farmers in the state will get the pending bonus amount of Rs 800 (per quintal) in February,” the official said.

The procurement began on November 14 last year and will continue till January 31, 2025. The government has to procure about 160 lakh tonnes of paddy for the kharif marketing year 2024-25.

The state cabinet has decided to sell off surplus paddy through online auction, the official said.

A certain section of the steel industry will be given a maximum discount of one rupee per unit in energy charges under a special relief package. The decision will be effective from October 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025, the official said.

The cabinet also decided to provide an assistance of Rs 50,000 to the writers and artists facing financial difficulties and an ex gratia of Rs 1 lakh to their kin after their death.

The state will provide training to the students of high and higher secondary schools and colleges in the nuances of financial markets and stock exchanges for which it will sign an MoU with the National Stock Exchange.

The cabinet has decided to allot an additional five acres to Shri Satya Sai Health and Education Trust free of cost for the purpose of health services in Nava Raipur. The government will also allot 40 acres at a concessional rate for the establishment of The Art of Living Centre in Nava Raipur, the official said.

Residential and commercial properties constructed by the Chhattisgarh Housing Board that have remained unsold for more than 5 years will be sold by giving discounts of up to 30 per cent on the cost price (base rate), the cabinet decided.

The government will release the state’s share of about Rs 2,000 crore for benefiting 1.32 eligible persons under the ‘Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban 2.0’ on completion of houses or ‘griha pravesh’, the official said.

The cabinet has decided to hand over the work of making ready-to-eat meals to women's self-help groups. In the first phase, the work will be given to such SHGs in five of the state’s 33 districts, he said.

The cabinet also decided to extend the time limit of the ordinance of Chhattisgarh Panchayat Raj Adhiniyam, 1993, for amending the regulations for OBC reservation in the three-tier Panchayati Raj institutions, the official added. PTI COR NR