Amid shortage, millers make do with poor quality used bags

Kulwinder Sandhu

Tribune News Service

Moga, April 15

Keeping in view the shortage of gunny bags, the Centre has allowed the central and state procurement agencies to utilise one-time used gunny bags (bardana) made of jute for the supply of custom-milled rice by mills to the Food Corporation of India (FCI). However, the quality of bags in Moga district is relatively poor, revealed insiders in the milling industry.

FCI Divisional Manager Pankaj Kumar Singharia claimed they accepted rice in one-time used gunny bags as per the specifications laid down by the central government. “There have been instances of rice millers trying to deliver rice in poor quality gunny bags, but our staff members at the storehouses or depots reject the lots,” he said.

Singharia said rice millers in Moga were supposed to deliver 14 lakh MT of rice to the FCI by April 30, but, so far they had delivered approximately 7.30 lakh MT, just 53 per cent of the total target. The delay has been attributed to shortage of space and non-availability of gunny bags.

Meanwhile, a visit to many rice mills by this correspondent revealed that old gunny bags, underweight and torn, were seen lying at many rice mills in Moga, Baghapurana, Nihalsinghwala, Badhni Kalan, Ajitwal, Kot-ise-Khan and Dharamkot areas, with labourers stitching them to fill the custom-milled rice.

There are reports that rice mill owners were delivering rice in old gunny bags that had been repaired beyond their capacity. FCI officials, however, rejected such reports. A new gunny bag costs somewhere between Rs 50 and Rs 60 in the wholesale market, whereas one-time used bag, weighing about 500 gm, costs Rs 30 to Rs 40.

Due to the shortage of gunny bags, the Centre has asked the Punjab Government to use 1.52 lakh bales of used bags to pack rice. The price of each gunny bag, weighing 580 gm, has been fixed at Rs 22 per bag.

The paddy is required to be stored for longer periods, even for about two years, and if it is not packed in good quality gunny bags, the danger of deterioration of rice looms large, resulting in loss to the foodgrain.

Central guidelines for reuse of bags

• Only sound jute gunny bag, preferably released from PDS, without any cut or major repair should be used
• Ends and picks of the used bag should be intact. Its dimensions should be 94 cm x 57 cm
• Bags should be free from any mildew or fungal growth so as to prevent grain from pests
• Jute bags used for filling of mustard, groundnut etc., not eligible for reuse of bags