Punjab : Rice millers meet Prahlad Joshi, highlight space shortage
Punjab rice millers met Union Minister Prahlad Joshi to flag storage shortages, delayed FRK supply, and transport issues. They sought higher monthly rice movement from Punjab, acceptance of non-FRK rice, AI-based grain analyzers in warehouses, and fair freight reimbursement amid concerns over FCI allocation practices.
Chandigarh: A delegation of rice millers met Union minister for consumer affairs, food and public distribution Prahlad Joshi in New Delhi on Thursday to highlight the key issues being faced by rice millers.The meeting was held in the presence of BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh and BJP Punjab President Sunil Jakhar.Bharat Bhushan Binta, President of the Punjab Rice Industry Association, apprised Joshi about the acute shortage of storage space for rice in Punjab and urged the govt to increase the monthly rice transportation from the state to 10 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) to ease pressure on millers.
He also highlighted delays in milling operations due to the inadequate supply of Fortified Rice Kernels (FRK) and requested the govt to accept delivery of 25 lakh metric tonnes of non-FRK rice to streamline the process.Another key issue raised was the urgent implementation of AI-based automatic grain analyser machines in all warehouses to ensure transparency and efficiency in quality inspection.The delegation also expressed serious concerns regarding the alleged irregular allocation of rice transportation by the DGM, FCI Chandigarh office. Binta stated that due to space constraints, millers were compelled to transport rice to distant locations and other states without receiving freight reimbursement from the Food Corporation of India (FCI). He further alleged that millers were forced to submit undertakings stating that they would not claim freight charges, terming the practice arbitrary and unjust.
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Source : The Times Of India
