Govt Defends Rs 3,100 MSP Policy, Says All Eligible Paddy Being Procured

Bhubaneswar: The State Government on Tuesday firmly defended its Rs 3,100 per quintal paddy procurement policy in the Assembly, asserting that all eligible surplus paddy from registered farmers is being procured without restriction.

Responding to an unstarred question raised by Shri Sagar Charan Das, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra clarified that the Rs 3,100 rate includes both the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and input assistance.

Rejecting concerns over any procurement cap, the Minister stated that the Food and Paddy Procurement Policy is structured to accept the entire marketable surplus offered by eligible registered farmers, subject to prescribed quality checks and verification norms.

He emphasized that the system ensures farmers are able to sell their produce without constraint under the MSP framework, dismissing allegations of policy violations.

The government maintained that the procurement mechanism is operationally sound and aligned with established guidelines.