Millers in Haryana warn of custom-milled rice pullout, say 6 lakh metric tonnes rice stuck in mills
Haryana rice millers have threatened to boycott upcoming paddy procurement and CMR operations over around 6 lakh tonnes of pending CMR from the previous season. They cited FCI storage constraints, delayed payments, transport charges, CMR deadlines, quality norms and other unresolved demands, while assuring farmers of storage support.
With around 6 lakh metric tonnes of custom-milled rice (CMR) of the previous paddy season reportedly still lying in rice mills across Haryana due to space and acceptance-related issues at the Food Corporation of India (FCI), the rice millers have threatened to stay away from paddy procurement and CMR operations in the upcoming season till the fulfilment of their pending demands.
This decision was taken at a state-level meeting of the Haryana Pradesh Rice Millers and Dealers Association held in Kaithal on Sunday. Representatives of rice millers and dealers from across the state attended the meeting, which was chaired by association’s state president Amarjit Chhabra.
The millers said several issues related to the previous paddy season, including CMR deadline extension, pending payments, transportation charges, FCI space constraints and departmental matters, remained unresolved. The millers said they would not register for CMR or participate in paddy procurement until the government addressed their concerns.
Chhabra said around 6 lakh MT of rice lying in mills had left the millers in a difficult situation. “Till the government accepts the demand for additional CMR operations time and resolves other issues of rice millers, we will neither register for CMR nor participate in paddy procurement,” he said.
However, the association said it did not want the farmers to suffer because of the dispute. Chhabra said the millers would keep their mill premises available to procurement agencies for storing farmers’ paddy, but the procurement agencies would remain responsible for its purchase, custody and management until the issues were resolved.
Chhabra said the rice millers would strongly press their demands before the government. “Paddy procured by the government agencies must follow the prescribed quality standards. The paddy should have less than 25 per cent broken grains, moisture content of 17 per cent or below, and damage and discoloured grains not exceeding 2 per cent each. Procured paddy should also be properly cleaned using large fans as per the government’s prescribed specifications,” he added.
The millers also raised the issue of the bonus announced by Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, which they claimed had remained pending for nearly two years, besides seeking payment of loading and unloading, custody, maintenance and transportation charges and proper handling charges for rice.
Chhabra demanded a clear schedule for the CMR delivery under the 25 per cent, 10 per cent and 5 per cent categories and sought restructuring of deadlines where delays occurred because the rice milling began late or fortified rice kernel (FRK) was not supplied on time.
He along with other millers also demanded that the one-time settlement (OTS) scheme should be interest-free, pointing out that the governments even provide subsidies for setting up new industries.
The millers also discussed the provision requiring a Rs 50 lakh fixed deposit (FD) and questioned its necessity.
Chhabra said the association would remain united under the slogan “one voice, one organisation, one struggle” and would decide its further course of action after the government responds to its demands.
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Source : The Tribune
