A paddy farmer in Bastar who could only sell 15 quintals per acre — not the promised 21 — now gets paid as if they sold all 21. That is the blunt, practical promise Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai made on Thursday, 12 November 2026, announcing a significant expansion of the state's farmer welfare guarantee.

Posting on X, CM Sai said his government had taken 'a major decision in the interest of the state's farmers.' Under the Krishak Unnati Yojana, the administration had already committed to procuring 21 quintals of paddy per acre. The new order goes further: if a farmer sells even 15 quintals, the government will compensate the shortfall — the remaining 6 quintals — in full as an input support payment. The net result is a guaranteed ₹13,839 per acre in aadan sahayata rashi (input assistance) for every enrolled farmer.

What the Revised Guarantee Means in Practice

The original scheme tied the full benefit to actually selling 21 quintals — a threshold many small and marginal farmers struggle to reach in a single season. By decoupling the payout from the volume delivered, the government effectively turns the ceiling into a floor. A farmer gets the full per-acre amount regardless of how much paddy reaches the procurement centre.

Chhattisgarh is one of India's major rice-producing states, and successive governments — including the current BJP administration led by Sai since December 2023 — have kept paddy procurement and farmer-support schemes at the centre of rural politics. State-level input subsidies linked to procurement are a well-established tool across Indian rice-growing states to cushion farmers against yield volatility and market shocks.

Why Bastar and Surguja Are Named Specifically

CM Sai specifically called out Bastar and Surguja divisions as expected beneficiaries. Both regions carry political and humanitarian significance: Bastar in the south has a predominantly tribal farming population, while Surguja in the north is home to dense farming communities that have historically had lower market access. Smaller landholdings in these divisions make the 21-quintal target harder to meet — which is precisely why the revised guarantee matters most here.

The announcement sets up a clear test: how quickly will the ₹13,839 per-acre disbursements reach farmers' accounts in the ongoing procurement season, and will the upcoming state budget formalise the revised norms? For now, the pledge is in writing — and in the hands of the state machinery to deliver.