M A I N   N E W S

Paddy worth 50 cr missing
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 10 — As certain government agencies are dilly-dallying on submitting a report to the Punjab Government with regard to missing stocks of paddy worth Rs 50 crore, the Punjab Food and Supplies Minister, Mr Madan Mohan Mittal, has directed the authorities concerned to submit the exact account with full details of the missing paddy in the state within two weeks.

He has directed the officers concerned of the Punjab Food and Supplies Department to accompany representatives of Markfed and Punsup for the physical verification of stocks of paddy in various parts of the state. Mr Mittal said that as per the interim report submitted to him, the large stocks of missing paddy belonged to Markfed and Punsup. He said he had earlier called a high-level meeting at which the officials concerned failed to satisfy him with regard to the missing paddy.

He said he had made clear to all concerned that action would also be taken against the supervising officers of the district where the paddy stocks were missing. The authorities had been asked to submit the fact sheet regarding the missing stocks by August 22. He said he had also got reports that certain officials of Markfed and Punsup were not cooperating as far as the physical verification of the paddy was concerned. Such officials had been told to cooperate with the Food and Supplies Department.

Meanwhile, Mr Mittal said that rice millers had agreed to buy paddy up to 40 per cent of the total arrivals in the forthcoming kharif season provided they were given certain incentives. Last year they had procured 33 per cent of the total arrivals of paddy in the state markets. Millers had asked for the lifting of their levy rice on top priority, ensuring adequate space for the stacking of rice and enhancing of the milling rates, etc.

He said he had directed the Punjab Food and Supplies Department officers concerned to prepare a detailed proposal on the basis of the demands made by the millers . The millers had also urged the government to direct the FCI to accept rice which met the required specifications.