Over 1 lakh quintal paddy worth Rs 26 crore damaged across Chhattisgarh; political row erupts
Raipur
Over one lakh quintals of paddy worth Rs 26 crore have allegedly been damaged across multiple districts of Chhattisgarh due to storage lapses, delayed milling and alleged administrative failures, triggering a political clash between the BJP and Congress, even as investigations, suspensions and FIRs highlight serious irregularities in paddy procurement and storage management.
Paddy worth over Rs 26 crore has been damaged across several districts of Chhattisgarh due to alleged storage negligence, delayed milling and administrative lapses, triggering a sharp political confrontation between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress. Officials estimate that more than one lakh quintals of the state’s key crop have been affected, with investigations underway in multiple districts.
In Gaurela–Pendra–Marwahi district, around 20,000 quintals of paddy procured during the 2024–25 season turned black and became unfit for consumption after remaining in storage centres for a prolonged period. Officials said the stock was not transported in time for custom milling and was exposed to rain and moisture, causing losses exceeding Rs 6 crore. District Marketing Officer Harish Sharma said delivery orders for 16,000 quintals have now been issued to rice millers.
Congress protests over ‘rat menace’
The issue has sparked protests by the Congress, which accused the BJP-led government of failing to safeguard farmers’ produce. Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Deepak Baij visited a storage centre in Bastar, alleging that 1.46 lakh quintals of paddy had been damaged in the region. During his visit, Baij displayed two dead rats, sarcastically claiming they had died after consuming paddy brought from other districts. He warned that losses could spiral to Rs 100 crore if urgent corrective measures were not taken.
In Raipur, former MLA Vikas Upadhyay staged a symbolic protest by attempting to gift a rat trap to Food Minister Dayaldas Baghel. Upadhyay said if the government attributes the damage to rats and termites, it must put effective systems in place to prevent such losses in the future.
BJP rejects allegations
The BJP dismissed the Congress protests as politically motivated. Party leader Gaurishankar Shrivas termed the demonstrations propaganda and claimed that during the previous Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress government, paddy worth ₹33 crore had rotted in cooperative societies without any action being taken. He said the present government is treating the issue seriously and has ordered a detailed probe into storage conditions, delays in lifting stocks and other possible causes.
District-wise losses
Officials have identified losses across several districts:
- Kawardha: Estimated loss of ₹7 crore, attributed to rats, termites and weather exposure.
- Jashpur: Loss of ₹6.55 crore due to missing stock and financial irregularities.
- Pendra: Loss of ₹6 crore linked to delayed milling and moisture damage.
- Mahasamund: Loss of ₹5.5 crore, primarily due to drying issues and shortage of storage space.
Administrative action and probes
In Kawardha, inspections at the Charbhatha and Bagharra procurement centres revealed a shortage of 26,000 quintals. Investigators found serious irregularities, including fake entries, forged labour attendance records and tampering with CCTV footage. Following the findings, the district administration suspended storage centre in-charge Pritesh Pandey and issued show-cause notices to District Marketing Officer Abhishek Mishra for allegedly providing misleading information.
In Jashpur, a joint investigation team detected 20,586 quintals of paddy missing from the Konpara sub-centre. Based on a report by the Apex Bank’s nodal officer, police registered an FIR against six people, and one arrest has been made in the Tumla police station area.
In Mahasamund, a shortage of 8,211 tonnes was detected during the custom milling process across five storage centres, resulting in losses of ₹5.5 crore. Officials said that although procurement ended months ago, delayed lifting of stocks was the primary reason for the damage.
As investigations continue and political sparring intensifies, the scale of the losses has raised serious questions over paddy storage management in the state, with farmer groups demanding accountability and immediate reforms to prevent a repeat of such incidents.
