Ranchi: The Jharkhand government has decided to take a loan of RS 1,552 from two PSU banks to get rice from the Kharif season farmers.
The State Cabinet on Thursday approved a proposal in this regard by the Department of Food, Public Distribution and consumer affairs.
The number of loans – RS 776 Crore respectively – will be taken from Bank India and Bank India in the ongoing financial year.
The government aims to get eight lakh tons of rice from nearly two lakh farmers with the minimum support price scheme (MSP).
Normal rice will be purchased at Rs 2,050 per quintal while rice A will be purchased at Rs 2,070 per quinta, Cabinet Secretary Vandana Deadel said after the meeting.
Food Minister of Food and Civil Equipment Rameshwar Oraon, who also holds a financial portfolio, does not respond to TOI requests about why the government needs a loan for that purpose.
In another decision, the minister’s board approved a proposal to eliminate the financial management system integrated by Kuber itself and turned to the National Automatic Clearing House to transfer the direct benefits of Treasury.
“The existing system is posing obstacles in making bulk payments,” said Dadel.
The Cabinet also approved the state mining proposal and the geological department to extend the lease for Hindustan Copper Limited for 20 years to mine in more than 388.68 hectares of land in Surda Maaja in East Singhbhum Regency.
Mining rental extensions have been delayed for two years.
The cabinet gave a nod to several road expansion projects and reinforcement in Deoghar, Dhanbad, Bokaro, Serialla-Kharsawan Regency in the Net Wealth of Rs 418 Crore.
It also provides proposals to allocate Rs 4 Crore to 14 colleges for their holistic development.
21 proposals were given a nod by the cabinet at a Thursday meeting.