The paddy procurement campaign running under the leadership of Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai in Chhattisgarh has registered a historic achievement this year. Till January 13, 2026, 105.14 lakh metric tonnes of paddy has been purchased from 17,77,419 farmers in the Kharif marketing year 2025-26, in return for which a record amount of ₹ 23,448 crore has been paid to the farmers. This is the highest purchase and highest payment till January 13 compared to all the years till now.
If compared with the figures of previous years till January 13, then Chhattisgarh Government This achievement comes out even more clearly. In the Kharif marketing year 2020-21, till January 13, 72.15 LMT paddy was purchased from 17,49,003 farmers and ₹ 13,550 crore was paid. Till the same period in the year 2021-22, 68.77 LMT paddy was purchased from 17,09,834 farmers, in return for which ₹13,410 crore was given to the farmers.
In the Kharif marketing year 2022-23, till January 13, 97.67 LMT paddy was purchased from 22,14,302 farmers and ₹ 20,022 crore was paid. In comparison to all these years, both the quantity of paddy purchased and the amount distributed to farmers have reached the highest level in the year 2025-26.
It is clear from the data that while 72.15 LMT paddy was purchased in 2020-21, 68.77 LMT in 2021-22 and 97.67 LMT in 2022-23, in 2025-26 only till January 13, 105.14 LMT paddy has been purchased, which is a new record in itself. Similarly, the amount received by farmers has also directly increased to ₹ 23,448 crore.
This historic increase is proof that the transparent procurement system, timely payment system and farmer-friendly policies of the state government have strengthened the confidence of the farmers of the state. Farmers are getting fair price for their produce on time, which is strengthening their economic condition and giving new impetus to the rural economy.
The state government has ensured strict action against drought and irregularities in the storage of paddy procured at support price in the Kharif marketing year 2024-25. In those collection centers where the deficiency was found to be more than 0.5 percent and less than 1 percent, show cause notices were issued to the center in-charges. If a deficiency of 1 to 2 percent was found, a departmental inquiry was initiated, while in case of a deficiency of more than 2 percent, the center in-charge was suspended and a departmental inquiry was instituted and if found criminal, an FIR was filed. Has been registered.
In the last 2 years, show cause notices were issued to a total of 33 food inspectors and food officers when irregularities and negligence were found in paddy procurement and storage, in 2 cases FIRs were registered against the collection center in-charges and 1 collection center in-charge has been suspended. This makes it clear that the government is working on a zero tolerance policy towards corruption and negligence.
According to the instructions issued by the government regarding the drought in the Kharif marketing year 2023-24, show cause notices have been issued against 6 district marketing officers and 6 collection center in-charges. This step is a decisive initiative towards strengthening administrative accountability and preventing any kind of negligence in future. It is noteworthy that in the year 2018-19, 80.38 lakh metric tonnes of paddy was purchased in a total area of 25.61 lakh hectares, whereas during the tenure of the present government, the scope, quantity and direct benefits of procurement to the farmers have increased to historical levels.
A target of 78 lakh metric tonnes of rice was set by the Government of India under the central pool, against which it was possible to dispose of about 116 lakh metric tonnes of paddy. The remaining paddy was disposed of through auction. Due to less warehouse capacity with FCI for milling the rice received as per the central target, it took about 12 to 15 months for the final disposal of the paddy, due to which there was a possibility of drying in the collection centres. At present, the lifting of paddy kept in the collection centers under the Kharif marketing year 2024-25 is in progress and the lifting of paddy sold through auction is under process. The actual assessment of total drought can be made only after complete disposal of paddy.
