Ranchi witnessed several major policy decisions on Monday as the Jharkhand Cabinet approved new measures aimed at supporting farmers and strengthening opportunities for students from disadvantaged communities. An official announcement confirmed that paddy growers in the state will now receive an additional bonus of eighty one rupees per quintal over and above the Centre’s minimum support price for the 2025 to 2026 procurement season.
The meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Hemant Soren, also approved a significant increase in the financial assistance offered to Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste candidates preparing for civil service examinations. The earlier support of one lakh rupees will now be raised to one and a half lakh rupees.
Cabinet Secretary Vandana Dadel explained that the state has sanctioned forty eight crore and sixty lakh rupees to fund the paddy bonus. With this decision, the combined value of the minimum support price and the state bonus will be two thousand four hundred and fifty rupees per quintal. Since the Centre has fixed the MSP for common paddy at two thousand three hundred and sixty nine rupees, the state’s contribution effectively fills the gap to ensure better returns for farmers.
Dadel added that farmers will no longer receive the procurement amount in parts. The entire payment for the purchased paddy will be transferred at once within forty eight hours, and only in exceptional circumstances may this be extended to a week.
