Congress alleges mismanagement in paddy procurement in Chhattisgarh; 32 party MLAs briefly suspended

Raipur, Feb 26 (PTI) As many as 32 Congress MLAs were briefly suspended from the Chhattisgarh Assembly after the Opposition party created an uproar on Thursday, alleging large-scale mismanagement in paddy procurement, which it claimed led to over 2 lakh farmers unable to sell their produce at the minimum support price (MSP).

Congress members sought to corner the state government on the issue as they trooped into the well of the House and were automatically suspended for a brief period as per Assembly rules.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Leader of the Opposition Charan Das Mahant and other Congress members moved an adjournment motion seeking a detailed discussion on paddy procurement.

They claimed the BJP government had failed to make adequate arrangements for farmers under its paddy procurement scheme.

Mahant alleged that "irregularities and administrative failures" on the part of the state government to control discrepancies in paddy procurement at the MSP adversely affected a large number of farmers.

More than two lakh farmers could not sell their paddy at the minimum support price, the Leader of the Opposition claimed.

Mahant noted that during the kharif marketing year 2025-26, the government procured 141.04 lakh metric tonnes of paddy from 25,24,339 farmers, which he said was the lowest quantity purchased during the current government's tenure (which started in December 2023).

The senior Congress MLA further claimed that out of 27,36,171 registered farmers, 2,11,832 were unable to sell their produce due to what he described as a "deliberately complex procurement process".

He alleged that 1,30,369 of the affected farmers belonged to scheduled areas (mainly inhabited by tribals).

Mahant said that in Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai's home district Jashpur, 50,050 farmers registered for procurement, but only 41,092 could sell their paddy.

He accused the government of imposing stringent measures for procurement, including registration verification, land document scrutiny, token systems, physical inspections at farmers' homes, and payment-related hurdles, which he claimed caused widespread distress among cultivators.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kedar Kashyap urged the Chair to reject the adjournment motion, stating that members would get ample time to raise issues during general discussion on the Chhattisgarh Budget for 2026-27.

However, Congress MLAs, including Umesh Patel and Sangeeta Sinha, continued to speak and cited instances of attempted suicides by farmers who allegedly failed to sell their paddy at the MSP.

Former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel (Congress) accused the government of avoiding a discussion on paddy procurement. Baghel claimed that (revenue) officials had visited his farm (apparently for physical verification) in his absence and alleged that farmers were being harassed.

He urged the Chair to at least allow a discussion on acceptability of the motion or direct the government to submit a reply.

Senior BJP MLA Dharamlal Kaushik, who was presiding over the House, informed members that the adjournment motion had already been rejected.

He said members would get an opportunity to speak during the discussion on the state Budget.

Dissatisfied with the Chair's ruling, Congress members engaged in sloganeering and trooped into the well of the House, following which they were automatically suspended as per Assembly rules.

The Chair later revoked the suspension of 32 Congress MLAs. PTI TKP RSY