Patna, Dec 5 (IANS) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday held a high-level review meeting on paddy procurement for the Kharif marketing year 2025–26 at his official residence in Patna.
Top officials from the Food and Consumer Protection Department and other related departments were present during the meeting.
Principal Secretary of the Food and Consumer Protection Department, Pankaj Kumar, presented detailed information on the minimum support price (MSP), procurement period, and targets for the new Kharif season.
He mentioned that the MSP for general paddy is Rs 2,369 per quintal and Rs 2,389 per quintal for Grade A paddy.
He also said the procurement period is 1 November 2025 to 28 February 2026, and the procurement target is 36.85 lakh metric tons. Parboiled rice mills in the state are 396.
He informed the Chief Minister that paddy procurement has already started across all districts in a phased manner.
Nitish Kumar emphasised that the government is providing every possible assistance to farmers and directed officials to ensure that no farmer faces any inconvenience during procurement.
He said strict monitoring is needed to identify and act against those who create hurdles in the procurement process.
“Paddy procurement should be swift, smooth and farmer-friendly,” he instructed.
After the meeting, the Chief Minister inaugurated the Patna Book Fair 2025 at the historic Gandhi Maidan on Friday evening.
Water Resources Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary was also present on the occasion.
The Chief Minister visited stalls of various publishing houses and released “Vikas Purush”, a book written by Murli Manohar Srivastava and published by Pangram Publishers.
Ratneshwar, President of the Centre for Readership Development, said this is the 41st edition of the Patna Book Fair, and this year holds special importance due to its historical nature.
One of the major attractions is the exhibition of Ratneshwar’s book “I”, touted as the world’s most expensive book, valued at Rs 15 crore.
The book, available in Hindi and English, is being displayed for the first time at any book fair globally.
The fair will host over 300 events, including Mushaira, Kavi Sammelan, Gyan & Gurukul, Yuva Swar, Kavi Pathan, Jan Samvad, Cinema-Unema, Aao Natak Dekho, Campus Activities, Our Heroes, School Utsav, and more.
Daily screenings of feature films, short films, and documentaries will also be held.
--IANS
ajk/dan