Rice millers, exporters protest new norms for industry

Tribune News Service

Karnal, December 4

Rice millers and exporters, under the banner of the Haryana Rice Exporters Association (HREA), on Saturday raised their voice against the new norms of the Commission for Air Quality Management and met Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, demanding from the government review of the blanket ban on the industries running without the PNG and clean fuel.

They told the CM that the rice industry came under the essential commodities and they could not operate the industry with new norms.

CNG & PNG cause more pollution

The move will ruin the industry. Decision-makers have not realised that CNG and PNG create more pollution than the rice husk, which has been proven in a study by the Thailand University. —Vijay Setia, Ex-president, All india rice exporters assn

As millers and exporters, they received directions from the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) in compliance with the directions of the Commission for Air Quality Management, under which it has directed the industrialists to operate their industries, running without the PNG and clean fuel, for eight hours in a day from Monday to Friday, and the industries will remain closed on Saturday and Sunday.

Vijay Setia, former president, All India Rice Exporters Association, along with Sushil Jain, state president HREA, and other millers and exporters protested the decision and said rice parboiling was a continuous process of 20-22 hours per batch, which could not be completed in eight hours.

Setia further said if the order was implemented, the entire payment system would collapse and funds won’t be delivered to commission agents and banks. “We abide by all norms set by the Pollution Control Board and it is digitally monitored by the board,” he added.

Jain said in such circumstances, they would not be able to meet the export target. “Even buyers will ask for compensation if not delivered on time,” said Jain, adding that the state and the Union governments should evaluate the system of the parboiling of rice. “We, along with sugar mill, milk plants and others, come under the essential commodities and the restrictions would lead to losses. Two-thirds labour will be unemployed as they would have no work,” he said.

CM Khattar assured the delegation that he would take up the matter with the Central Government.

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