Ranchi plans increased rice mills and timely MSP payments

Ranchi: The Chief Minister of Jharkhand, Hemant Soren, announced plans to increase the number of rice mills in the state. This move aims to improve the process of paddy procurement and ensure that farmers receive the minimum support prices (MSP) on time. Soren made these comments during an assembly meeting, responding to a question from Jairam Mahto of the Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha. Mahto asked if the government would consider making a one-time payment to farmers for their paddy, instead of splitting payments into two installments. The food and civil supplies minister, Irfan Ansari, replied that 50% of payments are made immediately, with the rest given after verification. He warned that a one-time payment could lead to corruption if farmers are not properly verified. Soren acknowledged that the storage of paddy is limited, which causes delays. He explained that paddy is procured in batches and processed into rice as needed. With more rice mills, the entire process could become quicker and more efficient. In a related discussion, Hemlal Murmu of JMM inquired about increasing cold storage facilities in the state. Agriculture Minister Shilpi Neha Tirkey stated that the government is partnering with private agencies to operate larger cold storage units, as local cooperatives are not equipped for this scale. Tirkey confirmed the completion of 109 small cold storage units and shared plans to develop larger model facilities. She noted that the government does not plan to establish cold storage at the block level but will consider proposals from local MLAs. Lastly, Neera Yadav from the BJP raised concerns about women being removed from the Maiya Samman Scheme. She highlighted that while it is good to remove ineligible candidates, some deserving individuals are also being affected. Minister Chamra Linda promised to create a standard operating procedure to address this issue.