Farmers will receive an additional Rs 81 per quintal of paddy above the Centre’s MSP, taking the total to Rs 2,450 per quintal.
Financial assistance for ST and SC civil service aspirants has been raised from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.5 lakh, with the income limit increased to Rs 8 lakh.
The Jharkhand Cabinet on Monday decided that farmers in the state will receive a bonus of Rs 81 per quintal of paddy in addition to the Centre's minimum support price (MSP) for the 2025–26 fiscal year, an official said.
At the meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Hemant Soren, the government also approved an increase in financial assistance for aspiring civil servants from the Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Scheduled Caste (SC) communities, raising the amount from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.5 lakh.
“The cabinet has approved Rs 48.60 crore as a bonus against paddy procurement from the farmers. The MSP and additional bonus combined have been fixed at Rs 2,450 per quintal,” Cabinet Secretary Vandana Dadel told reporters.
The Centre has set the MSP for common paddy at Rs 2,369 per quintal for 2025–26, meaning farmers will receive an additional Rs 81 per quintal from the state.
Dadel said farmers will receive a one-time payment for the paddy purchased by the government, replacing the earlier instalment-based system.
“The payment will be made within 48 hours and in special case, it may extend up to one week,” she said.
A total of 33 proposals were cleared by the Cabinet, including an increase in the incentive for Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste candidates who clear the preliminary civil services examination.
“Under Mukhyamantri Anushuchit Janjati Anushuchit Jati Civil Seva Protsahan Yojana, the one-time incentive amount has been increased from existing Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.5 lakh for the candidates who cleared preliminary test of civil service examination and preparing for Mains and interview,” Dadel said.
The annual family income limit to qualify for the scheme has been raised from Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 8 lakh, she added.
The Cabinet also approved amendments to the guidelines for state festivals.
“The state festivals have been divided into two categories – tourism and cultural. For tourism festival, expenditure up to Rs 80 lakh could be made, while the same for culture festival is Rs 70 lakh,” she said.
