FCI begins accepting custom-milled rice

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 25

In a relief for Punjab, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) has resumed the acceptance of custom-milled rice from the state’s millers.

The rice shelling industry had come to a grinding halt from March 1 following a Government of India order saying it would accept only fortified rice from the state. Rice millers in Punjab neither had the know-how of making fortified rice nor had motorised blenders required for the purpose.

State Food and Supplies Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu said: “We have started sending small quantities of fortified rice to the FCI with almost 1,000 metric tonne sent yesterday. As the millers scale up the capacity to blend, we will be delivering the required quantity of fortified rice. Based on this assurance, the Centre will start taking delivery of custom-milled rice from today. The Centre has also fixed the price for purchasing second hand gunny bags for packing the rice,” he told The Tribune.

The FCI wanted to accept 62 lakh tonne fortified rice from the state, to be distributed under the Integrated Child Development Services and Mid-Day Meal schemes. The orders for accepting only fortified rice (which is rice mixed with nutrients and minerals) were issued in January-end, and the time for purchasing new blenders was too less.

Prem Goel, general secretary, Rashtriya Sheller Sangh, said it was after they involved Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Som Prakash that the Centre started a dialogue with the millers and finally relented. Som Prakash said he held meetings with rice shellers, and once convinced that it would be difficult to start fortified rice delivery this year, he took up their case with Union Minister Piyush Goyal.