10.86 lakh tonnes of paddy procured in state, arrivals up
the ongoing standoff with a section of rice millers, Punjab state agencies and the Food Corporation of India (FCI) have procured around 91% of the total paddy arrivals across various mandis in the state.
Of the total 11.95 lakh tonnes of paddy, 10.86 lakh tonnes were procured, according to the latest paddy procurement data released by the food and civil supplies department.
Food and civil supplies director Anindita Mitra said the maximum paddy arrivals of 1.78 lakh tonnes were reported in Tarn Taran followed by Ferozepur (1.46 lakh tonnes), Kapurthala (1.44 lakh tonnes), Patiala (1.16 lakh tonnes) and Jalandhar (1.08 lakh tonnes).
Pungrain is topping the chart with 4.17 lakh tonnes (38%) of the total paddy procurement whereas private millers have procured around 40,000 tonnes of paddy.
The arrivals, which got delayed due to untimely rains, have started gathering pace and 3.13 lakh tonnes of paddy arrived in mandis on Saturday even as the standoff between the state government and a section of rice millers continued over storage and custom milling of paddy in the state. The state government has accused the protesting rice millers of playing politics, belying their claims.
39% LIFTING ACHIEVED AS PER NORM
Food and civil supplies minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu said 39% lifting of paddy was achieved against the 72 hour norm till October 12 with 73% in Kapurthala, 63% in Amritsar, 48% in Jalandhar and 41% in Ferozepur. The paddy lifting has been slow in Tarn Taran however. “The pace of lifting has improved as 2,124 rice mills have been allotted and agreements signed with 952 of them, particularly in Kapurthala, Jalandhar and Ferozepur districts where the paddy arrivals and procurement have been steady,” he added.
PROTESTING MILLERS TO MEET ON OCT 15
While the minister has dubbed the protest by some millers as “politically motivated”, the standoff seems to has worsened with the group of rice millers led by Punjab Rice Millers Association Tarsem Saini refusing to sign the agreement with the government until the issue of storage and clearance of stock by the FCI is resolved. Saini has called a meeting of the protesting rice millers in Kotkapura on October 15 to try and keep his flock together and chalk out the future strategy.