New Delhi/ Chandigarh, October 14: In a major reprieve to the millers and Aarthias of the state, the Union government on Monday acceded to majority of demands raised by the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann during a meeting with Union Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister.

The Chief Minister, who called on Union Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister Parhlad Joshi, apprised him that procurement of paddy is like a festival in the state. He said that the economy of the state depends on this season and it is also important for ensuring food security in the country. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that during the ongoing KMS 24-25, 185 LMT paddy is expected to be procured in the State and 125 LMT of Fortified rice is likely to be delivered.

Centre agrees to create space by shifting 120 LMT foodgrains till March 31

However, the Chief Minister said that due to persistent shortage of storage space during previous season and  availability of only about 7 Lakh MT storage space as on date, there is resentment amongst the rice millers of the State for carrying out milling. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that this is adversely affecting the procurement/lifting of paddy from mandis thus leading to resentment amongst farmers. Therefore, he urged Parhlad Joshi to ensure smooth procurement operations, movement/ thereby ensuring liquidation of at-least 20 LMT foodgrains per month from the State till March 31, 2025 by augmenting movement plan under OMSS/Ethanol allocation/Export/Welfare Schemes and others.

Responding to issues raised by the Chief Minister, Joshi agreed to transport 120 lakh metric ton paddy from outside the state by March 2025.

Millers and Aarthias : FCI offers space to the millers to deliver rice at their depots

Flagging the issue of payment of Transportation Charges to Millers for delivery of Rice, the Chief Minister said that due to non-availability of storage space at the linked milling centres, many a times, the FCI offers space to the millers to deliver rice at their depots which are in majority of the cases located at a distance ranging from 50-100 Kms. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that sometimes such depots are even located outside the State, which puts extra financial burden on the miller in terms of cost of over-transportation. He said that such costs are neither envisaged nor incorporated in the bilateral agreement between the miller and the SPAs. Millers and Aarthias Union Minister assured Bhagwant Mann that centre will bear the transportation cost

The Chief Minister emphasized that their demand for reimbursement of extra transportation costs incurred during rice delivery to FCI depots is valid. He urged the Union Minister to ensure fair treatment for the millers and encourage them by reimbursing transportation charges for the actual distance traveled, without any deduction for backward charges or others. In response, the Union Minister assured Bhagwant Mann that the central government would cover the transportation costs incurred by the millers.

Millers and Aarthias : previous milling season had extended beyond March 31 due to space crunch

Bhagwant Singh Mann raised the issue of drainage in paddy, stating that for decades, authorities allowed drainage at 1% of MSP. However, during the last season, the DFPD unilaterally reduced it to 0.5% of MSP in the PCS issued for KMS 23-24, without any discussion or scientific study.

He emphasized that this reduction has caused undue financial losses to rice millers, who were already struggling due to space constraints, further fueling resentment among them.. Further, he said that as the previous milling season had extended beyond March 31 due to space crunch, it resulted in more losses on account of driage/weight loss/discoloration of paddy due to hot weather conditions prevailing from April to July 24.

Therefore, Bhagwant Singh Mann urged restoring the Driage to 1% of the MSP as it was before KMS 23-24 and allowing adequate compensation to millers for deliveries made after March 31 when the moisture content in CMR/FR delivered to the FCI is less than 14%.

The Centre was already conducting a study on it at IIT Kharagpur.

Regarding the issue of drainage, the Union Minister stated that the Centre is conducting a study on it at IIT Kharagpur and that they will include Punjab’s viewpoint in this study.

The Chief Minister raised the issue of the Out-Turn Ratio of hybrid varieties of paddy, stating that the GOI has fixed the Out-Turn Ratio for Grade A paddy at 67%.He said that Considering the significant water consumption associated with traditional varieties of Grade A paddy, the State has promoted cultivation of certain hybrid varieties in the State. Bhagwant Singh Mann apprised the Union Minister that these varieties are less water consuming and have shorter duration with higher yield thus contributing towards increase in farmers earnings.

Union Minister to depute the Central teams to study the OTR of these varieties of paddy

The Chief Minister stated that millers reported the OTR of these varieties is less than 67% and needs re-assessment. He also requested the Union Minister to send Central teams to study the OTR of these paddy varieties..  Meanwhile, the Union Minister appreciated the Punjab government for taking out of the box initiative of introducing less water guzzling varieties of paddy. He assured fulsome support and cooperation to the state government for promotion of more such varieties.

Authorities have not increased the commission paid to the Arhtias

Raising another issue, the Chief Minister vehemently pleaded the Allowance of Commission to Arhtias as per the Punjab APMC Act. Bhagwant Singh Mann stated that the commission paid to the Arhtias has remained unchanged for the last five years, despite their expenses increasing significantly over this period. He pointed out that while the GOI raises the MSP of crops every year, Arhtias have continued to receive a commission of only Rs 45.38 to 46 per quintal since 2019-20. This is despite the fact that the Punjab State Agriculture Produce Market Committee Act, Rules, and Bye-laws mandate a 2.5% commission on MSP, which amounts to Rs 58 per quintal in the current Kharif season.

State has contributed 45-50% of wheat in Central pool every year

The Chief Minister said that it is pertinent to mention that despite challenges in procurement during the last four years, like COVID 19 pandemic, shortage of labour, weather disturbances during the season and quicker pace of arrival in mandis due to mechanical harvesting, the Arhtias have been ensuring smooth procurement of foodgrains under Central pool.

Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the State has contributed 45-50% of wheat in Central pool every year since last three years and thus contributed towards Food security of the Nation. He said that This has helped maintain wheat buffer stocks, control prices of wheat and atta in open market and also curb inflation.

Millers and Aarthias : centre will sympathetically consider this demand of the state government

The Chief Minister said that there is huge resentment amongst the arthias at the ground level due to no increase in their commission since many years. Bhagwant Singh Mann urged the Union Minister to ensure that the commission of arthias is allowed @ 2.5% of MSP. The Union Minister also assured Bhagwant Singh Mann that centre will sympathetically consider this demand of the state government and Arthias in its next meeting.

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