Haryana rice millers protest in Chandigarh over Rs 2,800 crore pending custom-milled rice
Millers seek Food Corporation of India clearance and payment of dues, with delegation approaching Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini over the issue
Rice millers and dealers from across Haryana on Thursday staged a dharna outside the Directorate of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs office in Chandigarh, pressing for the acceptance of pending Custom-Milled Rice (CMR) by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) or state procurement agencies and clearance of their outstanding dues, including bank guarantees.
The protest was held on the call of the All Haryana Rice Millers and Dealers Association, which on Wednesday announced an indefinite dharna outside the Directorate's office.
Led by association chairman Jewel Singla and president Hans Raj Singla, the millers assembled at around 11 am and continued the protest until 5 pm. Later, a delegation visited the residence of Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini to highlight their concerns.
The millers said CMR worth around ₹2,800 crore was still pending for delivery across the state. They alleged that despite the Directorate of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs extending the deadline for delivery of CMR to FCI until September 30, 2026, FCI officials had been restricted from accepting further stocks.
“We demand the government to direct FCI or the state government procurement agencies to accept our pending rice, so that we would not face further loss,” said Jewel Singla.
Hans Raj Singla said government agencies had procured paddy and allotted it to rice millers for milling. FCI was now stating that it had achieved its storage target and could not accept additional CMR, resulting in a large quantity of processed rice lying in mills.
He expressed concern that prolonged storage could lead to deterioration in rice quality and cause further financial losses to millers.
Saurabh Gupta, president of the Karnal Rice Millers and Dealers Association, cited an order of the Union Government directing FCI to ensure acceptance of CMR from millers in Madhya Pradesh until December 31, 2026.
“Similar orders should be issued for Haryana’s millers,” he added.
