BENGAL ANNOUNCES POWER SUBSIDY AND HIGHER PADDY PROCUREMENT PRICE FOR FARMERS

September 26, 2026

BURDWAN: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has announced a ₹2-per-unit electricity subsidy for agricultural consumption that will benefit more than four lakh farmers across the state. The government is expected to incur around ₹300 crore on the measure, with the subsidy projected to save individual farmers about ₹25,000–30,000 a year on electricity used for cultivation.

Adhikari also announced an additional ₹200 per quintal for paddy procured by the state government. With the minimum support price set at ₹2,500 per quintal, eligible farmers will receive ₹2,700 per quintal under the procurement arrangement. The additional payment will apply to farmers owning up to five acres of land.

The Chief Minister said the government would seek to prevent middlemen and other intermediaries from interfering in paddy procurement. He also announced that a special package for potato growers would be unveiled in December and said farmers would receive a total of ₹9,000 annually under PM-Kisan, including a ₹3,000 contribution from the state government.

The announcements were made at a government programme in East Burdwan, one of Bengal's major rice-producing regions. The measures come as the state government seeks to expand financial and agricultural support for cultivators, including assistance with farm electricity costs and government procurement of crops.