New custom milling policy to check graft

Fatehgarh Sahib, August 20

The Food and Civil Supply Department has decided to introduce stringent provisions in its new custom milling policy to curb the corrupt practice of mixing cheap rice smuggled from other states with the custom milled rice in Punjab.

The draft of the policy would be put before the Cabinet for approval soon, said Bharat Bhushan Ashu Minister for Food and Civil Supply. The Minister had come here to distribute cards to the beneficiaries of the Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana.

Claiming smugglers purchased cheap rice meant for public distribution in Bihar, UP and MP and brought it to Punjab, Ashu said they sold it to rice millers, who mixed it with the newly custom milled rice and supplied it to the FCI. He said the smugglers had been causing great financial loss to the state exchequer. 

He said last year raids were conducted against certain smugglers and some rice millers were booked, but they managed to escape due in the absence of stringent provisions. Answering a query regarding a promise made during elections to give dal, tea, sugar and ghee to the beneficiaries along with wheat, he said the file of the proposal had been sent to Finance Department for approval. — OC