Milling halted due to slow movement of rice

Tribune News Service

Ruchika M Khanna

Chandigarh, February 25

Milling of paddy across many places in Punjab has stopped because of slow movement of milled rice from the state to recipient states.

Parleys on

The delay is because of local factors like court stay or strikes. Parleys with rice millers who have lodged complaints are on. AS Thind, FCI Regional General Manager

This is because priority is being given to first move wheat stored on covered and plinth storage to other states, before the milled rice can be moved out. Though the number of railway rakes to transport the foodgrain from Punjab to other states is almost double as compared to February 2021, millers say slow movement of rice has forced them to stop milling paddy.

Officials in the Food Corporation of India (FCI) say the number of railway rakes made available for transportation of foodgrain from Punjab is almost double this year, as compared to last year.

“In February 2021, we had requisitioned and sent 133 rakes of foodgrain from Punjab, while this year, we already have requisitioned and sent 215 rakes of grains to other states, and another 60 rakes will be sent by the end of this month,” FCI Regional General Manager AS Thind told The Tribune.

However, he added, since a large quantity of wheat stocks was stored in CAP (covered and plinth) storage, this was first being transported to avoid any damage to wheat stocks.

The millers, however, fear the rice milled by them will be rejected by the FCI if its lifting is delayed. They fear in case of delay in lifting milled rice beyond two months, it will not meet the specifications laid by the FCI.

“This is the reason that millers in Ferozepur, Moga, Barnala and Bathinda have stopped milling paddy till we are sure of it being lifted,” said Ranjit Singh Josan, a rice miller from Ferozepur.

He, however, accused FCI officials in these districts of inability to plan the smooth flow of rice to other states, adding that of late many scheduled rakes were cancelled.

In Sangrur, another miller, Prem Goel, accused the FCI officials of flouting the rules for “age-wise” lifting of rice (the older stocks to be lifted first).

“The long-term storage of foodgrain and fumigation of grains reduces its nutritional value. So, immediate steps need to be taken to lift the old stocks by the FCI,” he said.

Thind said: “The delay in accepting milled rice, though at very few places, is because of local factors like court stay in allocation of tenders and/or strike by labourers and truck unions, at some places. But we are fully committed to resolving all issues and parleys with the rice millers who have lodged complaints are on,” he said.

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