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Chhattisgarh on high alert for paddy procurement season; takes measures to curb illegal transportation

RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh, with intensified strict vigilance, has cracked down on the transportation of paddy from other states and seized over one lakh quintals so far in separate cases ever since the procurement began from November 15. The state has launched special campaigns in different districts, with alert and rigorous monitoring underway. There are continuous checks, check posts set up in districts and along state borders, besides keeping track of GPS-equipped vehicles used for foodgrain transport to prevent illegal paddy transportation. This year, several check posts have undertaken a digital verification oversight process and a resolute inter-state coordination. Meticulous measures are adopted in every procurement centre, having a more accountable and technology-driven system, to record entries on the actual paddy received on a given day. The state government has issued a directive to all district collectors to ensure transparency in the procurement process of paddy in all centres, while illegal transportation and fictitious purchase will not be tolerated. The paddy procurement is to continue till January 31, 2026. According to officials, the Chhattisgarh State Cooperative Marketing Federation Limited (CG-MARKFED) has set up check-posts in border districts and constituted task forces headed by district collectors to check the movement of paddy from neighbouring states. The MARKFED has this year instituted Integrated Command and Control Centre to manage real-time surveillance of the procurement process and closely monitor every border area of the state. Over 16 separate check posts with installed cameras have been set-up in areas connecting Chhattisgarh to other states for round the clock observation at the Command Centre, a senior officer said. The detail of every vehicle entering Chhattisgarh state is recorded by deployed staff at every small or big check post, including those connecting the border areas. Chhattisgarh, often cited as the rice bowl in Central India, offers Rs 3,100 per quintal as minimum support price (MSP) to paddy growers, which is believed to be the highest in the country. There are sneaky attempts from neighbouring states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Telangana to secure high returns of paddy from the government procurement centres in Chhattisgarh state. There were instances where officials had earlier confiscated paddy illegally transported and stored in the state.