The Uttar Pradesh government has fixed the minimum support price (MSP) for paddy at Rs 1,960 per quintal besides approving a proposal to set up 16 medical colleges under the public-private participation (PPP) model in districts which do not have medical colleges.

The government has also decided to set up an office of Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) in Mau.

The decision regarding this was taken in the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath here.

A government spokesman said that the support price of the common variety of paddy had been fixed at Rs 1,940 per quintal and the support price of Grade-A at Rs 1,960 per quintal.

“In Kharif marketing year 2021-22, the period of purchase of paddy in Lucknow division's Hardoi, Lakhimpur and Bareilly, Moradabad, Meerut, Saharanpur, Agra, Aligarh, Jhansi divisions would be October 1, 2021 to January 31, 2022, and Lucknow division's district Lucknow, Sitapur, Rae Bareli, Unnao, and Chitrakoot, Kanpur, Ayodhya, Devipatan, Basti, Gorakhpur, Azamgarh, Varanasi, Mirzapur and Prayagraj divisions from November 1, 2021, to February 28, 2022,” he said.

The spokesman said that paddy procurement from farmers would be done on the basis of computerised verified khatauni, photo identity proof, and Aadhaar card. He said the paddy price would be paid by all purchasing agencies through the PFMS portal of the Government of India within 72 hours of paddy purchase.

Paddy would be procured at the purchasing centres by biometric authentication of farmers through electronic point of purchase machines and necessary guidelines in this regard would be issued separately by the Commissioner, Food and Logistics, he said.

In another decision, the cabinet approved a proposal for financial and non-financial assistance to private sector units for setting up medical colleges on a public-private partnership (PPP) model in 16 districts of the state which do not have medical colleges.

It is to be noted that there is no medical college under government or private sector in Baghpat, Ballia, Bhadohi, Chitrakoot, Hamirpur, Hathras, Kasganj, Maharajganj, Mahoba, Mainpuri, Mau, Rampur, Sambhal, Sant Kabir Nagar, Shamli, and Shravasti districts.

“It has been decided to open medical colleges in these districts on PPP basis,” the spokesman said.

The cabinet also approved a proposal to set up an ATS office in Mau. Land measuring 3,013 square metres has been allotted to set up the office for the ATS and barracks for the ATS commandos.