Rice millers condemn Centre for failing to safeguard their interests

Our Correspondent

Jagraon, June 9

The Punjab Rice Mill Association held a state-level meeting in Jagraon today. Hundreds of rice millers from various parts of Punjab took part in the meeting. While addressing the meeting, Punjab Rice Mill Association state president Tarsem Lal Saini criticised the central government for failing to safeguard the interests of the rice mill owners of Punjab.

Holding the Central and state governments equally responsible for ruining the rice mill industry, Saini stated that the government had failed to solve the crises being faced by the rice mill owners of the state. “We have taken up the issue of the problems being faced by the rice millers of Punjab with the Union Government as well as the state government several times, but to no avail,” Saini rued.

Saini further said the rice mill owners of the state had been facing heavy economical losses due to irrelevant and absurd policies of the government. “More than one hundred rice mill owners of Punjab have already shut their units due to insensitive approach of the government towards rice millers, while hundreds of other rice mills are on the edge of closure. If the government does not change its policies, rice mill industry of Punjab would be ruined completely,” Saini claimed.

He added that on one side, the costs of running rice mills had increased manifolds due to rise in prices of diesel, machinery, maintenance, transportation and labour cost and on the other, the government has reduced milling charges which adversely affected the rice millers. “Earlier, the government used to pay Rs 15 per quintal as milling charge to rice millers but now the government has reduced the milling charges to Rs 10 per quintal. It is quite difficult for the rice millers to survive in such situation,” Saini said.