Rice millers wary as FCI verifies stock

Ruchika M Khanna

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Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 7

The suicide by a rice mill owner at Dhariwal in Gurdaspur district today, allegedly during physical verification of his paddy and rice stocks, has brought to the fore fear among millers in Punjab and their opposition to the move by the Food Corporation of India (FCI).

Last week, the government foodgrain agency ordered verification of stocks — both paddy and rice — at rice mills. The FCI has even stopped accepting custom-milled rice till the time the verification is done, which started four days ago. This comes following complaints of pilferage of rice meant to be delivered to the FCI, and mismatch in stocks.

Punjab had procured 203 lakh metric tonne paddy in the kharif marketing season 2020-21. This is way over the productivity of actual land under paddy cultivation, raising suspicion of bogus billing.

Interestingly, the order by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution for physical verification of rice and paddy stocks was initially passed for Punjab alone. After objections were raised by Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal, the ministry asked for verification in other states as well.

While the FCI is within its rights to physically verify its stocks kept at rice mills for milling, industry insiders and officials in the Punjab Food and Supplies Department say the rice or paddy at most mills are more than the stocks shown in the books.

“This is because the delivery of rice is not taken by the FCI on time (March 31 each year). This leads to higher levels of broken rice in the stocks because of the warmer weather after March. The mill owner is supposed to give a certain amount of rice, and because the stocks are not lifted by the FCI on time, he buys rice and gives to the FCI to make up for the broken rice,” says a senior officer in department. One of the reasons for delay in delivery of custom-milled rice from mills to the FCI godowns is lack of storage space with the FCI.

‘Bogus’ billing

• Punjab procured 203 lakh metric tonne paddy in the kharif marketing season 2020-21
• This is way over productivity of actual land under paddy cultivation, raising suspicion of bogus billing