Odisha min urges Paswan to release subsidy for paddy procurement

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Food Supplies & Consumer Welfare Minister Ranendra Pratap Swain has written to Ram Vilas Paswan, Union Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution Minister urging the latter to release subsidy for paddy procurement in the state.

Swain mentioned in the letter that in the current KMS 2019-20, more than 30 lakh metric tonnes paddy has already been procured and Rs 5400 crore towards MSP transferred to the bank accounts of farmers.

“However, non-release of subsidy in time by Government of India (GoI) has landed the Odisha State Civil Supplies Corporation (OSCSC) in a serious financial crunch and further procurement and payment of dues to the farmers will be severely hampered. The Gol has released subsidy of Rs 1434.90 crore only against claim of Rs 4307.17 crore for the quarter ending December, 2019. Thus, till date the subsidy of Rs 2872.27 crore is receivable from Gol for the Financial Year 2019-20 (up to December, 2019). The advance subsidy (Rs 1400 crore approx.) for the quarter ending March, 2020 is being submitted within a couple of days. Though, as per MOU with Gol, advance subsidy is to be released in the 1st month of the quarter, no such subsidy has been released during the entire FY 2019-20,” Swain said in the letter.

The minister requested Paswan for personal intervention towards release of the pending subsidy due to the state and release of advance subsidy for the quarter ending March, 2020 at the earliest. “Since all the resources including sanctioned limit of bank finance have already been exhausted, further paddy procurement from the farmers may be severely affected, if the subsidy from Gol is not received at the earliest,” he added.

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