Rice millers in Tarn Taran a harried lot

Tarn Taran, October 12

Rice millers held a strong protest alleging harassment at the hands of procurement agencies as they conduct raids at their mills to check their stock.

A delegation of the District Tarn Taran Rice Millers’ Association led by Avtar Singh Taneja met DC Kulwant Singh and apprised him of their problems. They complained that the joint teams of the FCI and Food and Civil Supplies Department were conducing raids at their mills in the name of physical verification to verify their stock. The millers offered the keys of their mills in protest to the DC.

There were reports that a huge quantity of paddy was reaching the mandis in the district from other states, which was shown as cultivated in the area.

They said paddy was being brought from other states at cheaper rates and was shown as that procured from the farmers in the area at Rs1,960 MSP per quintal, which was much higher than other states. They said when there was only private paddy in stock with the rice millers, as the paddy procured by government agencies had not reached the mills so far, then why were they being harassed in the name of physical verification? — OC

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