The opposition Congress party in Chhattisgarh staged a complete boycott of the state legislative assembly's proceedings on Monday. The dramatic move came as a protest against what they termed as widespread and systemic mismanagement in the ongoing paddy procurement process under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government.
Allegations of Systemic Failure and Farmer Distress
The issue was forcefully raised during the Zero Hour by the Leader of the Opposition, Charandas Mahant, along with several other Congress legislators. They moved an adjournment motion, demanding an immediate and detailed discussion on the procurement process, which they claimed was failing the state's farmers.
The Congress alleged that the state government had failed to make adequate arrangements, leading to significant hardship for the agricultural community across Chhattisgarh. Legislators pointed to specific problems, including severe difficulties for farmers in obtaining the necessary tokens to sell their paddy crop. They further accused the administration of excluding cultivators who hold Forest Rights Certificates (FRCs) for land in forest areas from the procurement system.
Unprecedented Scale of Mismanagement, Says Former CM
Former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel emphasized the seriousness of the situation, stating it directly impacted farmers' livelihoods and warranted urgent discussion in the House. Following the uproar, Speaker Raman Singh allowed a discussion on the admissibility of the adjournment motion.
Leading the opposition's charge, Baghel detailed that while paddy procurement at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for the 2025–26 Kharif marketing season began on November 15 and is scheduled to continue until January 31, the level of disorganization this year is unprecedented. He claimed such chaos had not been witnessed in the past quarter-century.
Complex Registration and Pending Records
The Congress presented a list of specific grievances. They argued that, unlike in previous years where farmer data was seamlessly carried forward, the current registration process has become needlessly complex. This complexity has resulted in nearly 5% of farmers remaining unregistered, while the registration of over 4 lakh land records (khasras) is still pending.
The party also blamed complicated online procedures for registration and token issuance for causing severe distress. They cited a tragic incident where a farmer in Mahasamund district allegedly attempted suicide after failing to secure a token to sell his produce.
Low Procurement and Portal Glitches
Further allegations included claims that, based on crop damage (anavari) reports, many cooperative societies were procuring only 12 to 15 quintals of paddy per acre, significantly lower than the standard yield of 21 quintals. The opposition also stated that discrepancies arising from the AgriStack portal not being updated for the 2025–26 cycle were preventing farmers from selling their entire marketable surplus.
The boycott underscores a major political confrontation in Chhattisgarh, centering on the critical issue of agricultural support and the welfare of the state's farming population during the crucial procurement season.
