Raipur. 22 January 2021. Paved platforms built in paddy collection centers through convergence of MNREGA are protecting the paddy from moisture, rain and mice this year. In Kanjia village of Bharatpur, a remote development block of Korea district, with the convergence of funds of the MNREGA and the 14th Finance Commission, concrete platforms have been erected at the collection center. These platforms have ended the worry line from the foreheads of the managers of the Gram Panchayat and the cooperative society regarding the safety of the paddy acquired by the government in support price. On the other hand, the farmers who have sold their paddy are also completely convinced that their paddy purchased by the local cooperative society is safe from unseasonal rain, moisture and outbreak of rats and insects.
This has been possible due to the convergence of MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) and joint efforts of Gram Panchayat and Cooperative Society. With the convergence of seven lakh 38 thousand rupees sanctioned from the MNREGA and 50 thousand rupees of the 14th Finance Commission, four concrete platforms have been constructed in the Kanjia Paddy Collection Center. While the local panchayat and the committee are getting comfortable in securing paddy from this, the farmers are also happy now. Sarpanch of Gram Panchayat Kanjia of Vananchal Bharatpur, Smt. Vipulata Singh, says that the construction of platforms in the collection center is helping a lot in keeping the paddy safe. The use and importance of pucca platforms is showing by the safe maintenance of paddy acquired within a few months of their manufacture. By January 18, 2021, 15 thousand 106 quintals of paddy from Kanjia has been received from the farmers, which have been kept safe above these platforms.
Assistant Manager of the Tribal Service Cooperative Society Maryadit Garhwar (Kanjia), Mr. Vikram Singh, states that around 30 villages were associated with this cooperative society. With the opening of another sub-center at Kunwarpur this year, it is estimated that about 21 thousand quintals of paddy are purchased in Kanjia. He said that due to lack of safe storage facilities in earlier years, about 150 to 200 quintals of paddy used to go bad every year till the lifting. Its direct loss was to the cooperative credit management and farmers associated with the committee. But now this problem has been eliminated due to the formation of concrete platforms.
Mr. Singh said that recently there was unseasonal rain in the beginning of the new year. But this time there was no problem in securing the paddy. With the formation of paddy collection platforms, the capital ‘paddy’ produced by the farmers through day and night hard work is being kept better. He informed that at the time of construction of these platforms, 49 MNREGA workers of the village had also received direct employment of 393 man-days.
