CM raises paddy pangs with Centre, gets promise

CM Bhagwant Mann met Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister Pralhad Joshi today and raised issues concerning the state’s farmers, rice millers and commission agents during the ongoing paddy procurement season.

Mann is learnt to have informed Joshi about space storage and tardy lifting, which were causing resentment among rice millers and farmers. The CM sought the movement of at least 20 LMT foodgrain per month from the state till March next year, a statement from the Punjab Government said.

The minister reportedly told the CM that the Centre had already approved an estimated procurement of 124 lakh tonnes of rice from Punjab. More than 2,200 ‘mandis’ were functional for paddy procurement in Punjab this year, said Joshi. Mann said Joshi agreed to transport 120 LMT paddy outside the state by March 2025.

Flagging the issue of payment of transportation charges to millers for the delivery of rice, the CM said due to non-availability of storage space at linked milling centres, the Food Corporation of India many a time asked millers to deliver rice at their depots located at a distance ranging from 50 to 100 km. That put extra financial burden on the miller in terms of transportation cost.

Mann said the Centre had “agreed to bear the transportation cost incurred by millers in such cases”.

Mann also raised the issue of commission to arhtiyas not being hiked since 2019.