Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has announced that eligible paddy farmers will receive input assistance of ₹13,839 per acre under the Krishak Unnati Yojana, even if they sell less than the prescribed procurement limit of 21 quintals per acre. The decision is expected to provide relief to farmers in low-yield areas, particularly small and marginal cultivators and families in tribal regions.
Announcing the decision at a press conference in Raipur on Thursday, November 12, Sai said the government did not want farmers to lose financial assistance because their fields produced less paddy. Under the revised arrangement, the assistance will be calculated on the basis of the verified area under paddy cultivation rather than the quantity of produce sold.
The move is particularly significant for farmers in the tribal-dominated Bastar and Surguja divisions, where geographical conditions and limited irrigation facilities often affect agricultural productivity.
Sai said that even if a farmer sold only 15 quintals of paddy per acre instead of the prescribed 21 quintals because of lower production, the farmer would still receive the full input assistance of ₹13,839 for that acre. The change does not mean that the government will purchase the remaining six quintals. Payment for the paddy actually procured will continue to be made separately.
Under the Krishak Unnati Yojana, the state government has promised an effective rate of ₹3,100 per quintal for paddy procured through cooperative societies. Procurement is carried out at the applicable minimum support price (MSP), while the difference between the MSP and the promised rate is provided as input assistance. For the 2026-27 Kharif marketing season, the assistance amount has been fixed at ₹13,839 per eligible acre, based on the maximum procurement limit of 21 quintals.
Paddy procurement to cover 27.50 lakh farmers
The state government expects to procure paddy from around 27.50 lakh farmers during the current Kharif marketing season. Procurement is scheduled to begin on November 15, with the state aiming to make the process more accessible through an expanded network of centres.
A total of 360 new procurement centres are being opened, taking the statewide network to approximately 3,100. The additional facilities are intended to allow farmers to sell their produce closer to home, reducing transportation costs and other logistical difficulties.
The government has also been preparing for procurement at the rate of ₹3,100 per quintal, with a maximum limit of 21 quintals per acre. Registration and verification measures, including the use of digital crop survey records and biometric authentication, are intended to ensure that procurement benefits genuine farmers.
Sai said the government was working to secure fair prices for agricultural produce, improve farm incomes and strengthen the returns farmers receive from cultivation.
Sugarcane procurement rate raised to ₹425 per quintal
The chief minister also announced a ₹70 increase in the sugarcane procurement rate, taking it from ₹355 to ₹425 per quintal. The previous rate had remained unchanged for eight years.
The difference between the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) fixed by the Union government and the rate announced by the Chhattisgarh government will be paid to growers as a sugarcane bonus.
The revised rate will also apply retrospectively to sugarcane procured during the 2025-26 crushing season. Sai said the decision would improve the financial position of sugarcane farmers and encourage crop diversification in the state.
Dharamjaigarh to host state-level Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas event
Sai also outlined the state's preparations for Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas, which will be observed on November 15 to mark the 151st birth anniversary of tribal freedom fighter Bhagwan Birsa Munda, popularly known as Dharti Aaba.
The state-level celebration will take place at Dharamjaigarh in Raigarh district. The chief minister said Janjatiya Gaurav Week was being observed from November 11 to 18 under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership. Programmes will also be organised at district, Assembly constituency and mandal levels from November 16 to 18.
According to Sai, the decision to observe Birsa Munda's birth anniversary as Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas was taken in 2021 under Modi's leadership. He said the initiative had brought greater national recognition to the contribution of tribal communities to India's freedom struggle and nation-building.
The chief minister recalled Birsa Munda's Ulgulan movement against British rule, saying he had fought injustice and exploitation while inspiring tribal communities to protect their culture, traditions and self-respect.
He also paid tribute to Chhattisgarh's tribal freedom fighters, including Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh and Shaheed Gend Singh, who led the Paralkot rebellion, and Veer Gundadhur, a prominent figure in the Bhumkal rebellion.
BJP national president Nitin Nabin is also scheduled to attend the state-level celebrations at Dharamjaigarh. It will be his first visit to Chhattisgarh since taking over as the party's national president.
Government highlights schemes for tribal welfare
During the press conference, Sai highlighted initiatives taken by successive governments to improve the welfare and development of tribal communities. He credited former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee with establishing a separate Ministry of Tribal Affairs and the creation of Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, both states with substantial tribal populations.
He said efforts to strengthen tribal communities had gained further momentum under Modi. The PM-JANMAN initiative, he noted, was aimed at extending basic amenities to 12.37 lakh families belonging to 75 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups across the country.
The Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan is intended to benefit more than five crore people in approximately 63,000 villages nationwide, including 6,691 villages in Chhattisgarh.
The state currently has 75 Eklavya Model Residential Schools, while tribal children are also being provided education in local languages such as Gondi and Halbi. Work is underway to develop Education Cities at Orchha and Jagargunda. Medical colleges have also been started in Geedam and Kunkuri.
Sai said these initiatives were aimed at improving access to education, healthcare and other essential services while ensuring that tribal communities could preserve their languages and cultural identity.
Higher returns for tendu leaf collectors and forest produce gatherers
The chief minister also spoke about measures to improve the earnings of families dependent on forest produce. The government has increased the remuneration for tendu leaf collection from ₹4,000 to ₹5,500 per standard bag.
The Charan Paduka Yojana has also been restarted. Under the scheme, footwear was distributed to 12.40 lakh women tendu leaf collectors in 2025.
Sai said the state procures 67 types of minor forest produce at support prices, benefiting around four lakh collector families. The objective, he said, was to ensure that people living in forest areas received fair returns for their work and could improve their livelihoods through forest resources.
Sai says end of Naxalism will open new opportunities for tribal areas
Sai said the leadership of Prime Minister Modi and the efforts of security forces had brought decisive success in the fight against Naxalism. Areas once affected by violence and fear were now witnessing greater peace, confidence and opportunities for development, he added.
He said the government's priority was to ensure that tribal communities participated equally in the vision of a developed India by 2047. This included access to quality education, better healthcare, dignified livelihoods and rights over water, forests and land, alongside the protection of tribal languages and culture.
The chief minister said farmer welfare and tribal development were closely connected, adding that the revised paddy assistance policy reflected the government's commitment to ensuring that no farmer or tribal family was left behind.
He said the government wanted every farmer and tribal household, from Bastar to Surguja, to benefit from development and contribute to building a prosperous Chhattisgarh. Sai also extended his greetings to residents on the occasion of Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas.