March 29: The government has fixed the support price of winter paddy (Chaite dhan or pre-monsoon paddy).

A meeting of the Council of Ministers on Thursday fixed the minimum support price of winter paddy with moisture up to 18 percent at Rs 2,728 for the current fiscal year.

The cabinet has also decided to fix the minimum support price for winter paddy that contains more than 18 percent moisture. This price will be determined by considering the weight of the paddy after deducting 1200 grams per quintal for each additional one percent of moisture present.

The government fixes the minimum support price of paddy to ensure that the farmers get a fair price for their produce. However, the government often courts controversy for fixing the support price late or for non-implementation of its decision.

The meeting also decided to approve Rs 77.5 billion for the seven provinces and Rs 77.5 billion for the local levels as per the revenue sharing framework and distribution to be provided to the provinces and local level for the fiscal year 2081/82 BS.

Similarly, the government has decided to approve fiscal equalization grant of Rs 60 billion for seven provinces and Rs 88 billion for local levels. The cabinet also decided to approve the annual report for the fiscal year 2079/80 BS and submit it to the President. The cabinet decided to appoint Rishiram Bhandari, Rajendra Bahadur Lama and Ram Prasad Sapkota as the executive committee members of Nepal Tourism Board.