Centre has created only 25 LMT rice space: Min
Punjab’s Food Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak expressed concern over insufficient storage for rice, with only 25 LMT space created for 173.65 LMT of procured paddy. The state requires 115 LMT of space by March 2025. Millers demand the government fulfill its storage commitments and call for transparency in PR-126 trials. The e-KYC process for ration cards is ongoing.
Chandigarh: Punjab food and civil supplies minister Lal Chand Kataruchak on Tuesday said the even though milling of the procured paddy had begun in three districts, the Centre had managed to create space for only 25 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) for fresh stocks of rice, against 115 LMT required by the end of the milling season in March, 2025.While informing that 173.65 LMT of paddy had been procured during the procurement season that ended on Nov 30, the minister said that rice milling had begun in Pathankot, Mohali and Ropar but the issue of storage space was yet to be addressed by the Centre.“The Centre should expedite creation of space for rice stocks. We don’t wish to create panic, but it is a valid demand. In the last two months, 25 LMT space has been created. But when the fresh stocks of paddy are milled, we will need space for 115 LMT of rice. The state govt has been continually raising the matter with the Centre and the Food Corporation of India (FCI),” said Kataruchak after a meeting with officials as the paddy procurement season ended on Nov 30.Kataruchak said that the FCI has set a target of moving out 15 LMT of foodgrains in the month of Dec and there is need for the Centre to do more so that there is no problem at the end of the milling process. “The milling exercise will gradually pick up in the state. Presently, 18 trains are being used for movement of trains from the state,” he said.
In October, the Centre had assured to move out 40 LMT foodgrains from the state in the next 2-3 months to address the storage issue.Ranjit Singh Jossan, vice-president, Punjab Basmati Rice Millers and Exporters Association, said millers in the state demand that the promise about creation of adequate space should be fulfilled. “This year, around 174 LMT of paddy arrived in Punjab’s markets, which rice millers have stored despite last year’s challenges. Trusting the Punjab government and the FCI’s promise to provide 40 LMT of rice storage space by Dec 1, Punjab millers lifted all the paddy. However, only 26 LMT of space has been created so far. Punjab millers demand the government ensure complete storage availability by March 31 and fulfil its commitment,” he said. The rice millers also demanded ‘transparency’ in the trials for PR-126 done by central teams in October. “The report on PR 126 trials conducted by IIT Kharagpur teams should be made public and implemented promptly to mitigate potential losses to the rice milling sector,” he added.Meanwhile, Kataruchak said an e-KYC survey was currently going on with regard to the verification of the ration cards. He said that out of the total 1.57 crore beneficiaries, the e-KYC process of verification has been completed for 1.06 crore beneficiaries and appealed to the remaining beneficiaries to go for the e – KYC procedure so as to make sure that the genuine and needy beneficiaries are not devoid of the benefits of receiving 5 Kg wheat per person per month.
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Source : Times Of India
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