Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan at Jamboree Maidan in Bhopal (Source: Twitter / @CMMadhyaPradesh)
The Madhya Pradesh government on Monday announced a slew of sops for farmers, bringing back bonus on wheat over and above the minimum support price (MSP) under a different name, further modifying the Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana (BBY) and waiving interest on loans. The state is scheduled to go to polls later this year.
Terming it as his scheme aimed at increasing productivity, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the farmers will be paid Rs 200 bonus on every quintal they sold to the government in the last rabi season. Madhya Pradesh procured more than 67.25 lakh MT wheat in the last season.
Addressing a farmers’ convention at Jamboree Maidan in Bhopal, the CM also announced that wheat growers will get Rs 265 over and above the MSP of Rs 1,735 per quintal in the coming season to ensure that the farmers get Rs 2,000 per quintal.
Madhya Pradesh is the first state to announce bonus on wheat scripting a success story in agriculture. Some other states soon followed suit. However, after the Narendra Modi government came to power, it asked the states to discontinue bonus because it was distorting market rates.
“This is not bonus,” Chouhan clarified while making the announcement and called it a scheme to promote productivity.
He also announced more changes in the BBY, saying prices were getting depressed as farmers wanted to sell their produce at the same time. Under the scheme, the farmers will now be able to store their crops in licensed warehouses up to four months and the government will pay a monthly subsidy. The farmers will be free to sell their produce if they get more prices at Mandis or else the government will buy the notified crops under BBY, a price deficiency scheme.