The Center on Sunday dismissed reports of shortage of storage space affecting rice procurement in Punjab as “misinformation” created with “vested interests”.
Union Food Minister Prahlad Joshi on Sunday assured that creating adequate storage space remains the responsibility of the government.
“Some rumors are spreading. I want to make it clear that creating space is our responsibility. We will take care of that,” Joshi said during a press conference, accompanied by Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra and FCI President Vanita Rattan Sharma.
The state currently has a storage capacity of 14 lakh tonnes, which will increase to 16 lakh tonnes on November 1. An additional capacity of 31 lakh tonnes is being developed under the Private Entrepreneurs Guarantee (PEG) scheme.
The minister highlighted that 3,800 millers have requested the removal of paddy rice, and 3,250 already have stocks allocated for rice conversion. The government has authorized payments worth Rs 9,819.88 crore, of which Rs 7,641 crore has reached farmers.
The ministry has formed a high-level committee under the FCI chairmanship to monitor storage capacity and movement plans on a weekly basis. Of the national movement target of 34.75 lakh tonnes for October, Punjab has been allocated 40 per cent (13.76 lakh tonnes).
The Center plans to evacuate 13-14 lakh tonnes of wheat monthly from Punjab till March 2025. An online portal will soon be launched to address the complaints of rice millers.
The minister said the government is distributing rice through the PDS and to states like Tamil Nadu as per demand.
To address concerns over the lower OTR of paddy to paddy, particularly with the PR-126 variety, Joshi said IIT-Kharagpur has been tasked with conducting a detailed study.
“The PR-126 variety has been used since 2016 without problems. The national OTR standard remains at 67 percent regardless of the variety,” he added.
The minister said there are reports of widespread use of hybrid varieties being passed off as PR-126 in Punjab. These hybrid varieties reportedly have significantly lower OTR compared to genuine PR-126 paddy, affecting millers’ ability to meet mandatory standards.
Joshi also ruled out any relaxation in OTR norms for Punjab rice millers.
The Center has roped in IIT-Kharagpur to review the current OTR norms and rice drainage issues. The study is currently in progress.
Regarding the issue of additional transportation charges faced by millers, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) has delegated powers to regional offices. They can now approve additional transportation charges if designated warehouses do not have free space beyond a 15-day waiting period.
“The necessary customization was done to enable the same in the procurement portal and the problem was resolved,” the minister said.
Procurement began early on October 1 after heavy rains, and 49.88 lakh tonnes of rice have been procured so far. 5.34 lakh tonnes were procured on Saturday alone.
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