Delivery of milled rice to FCI hit due to shortage of gunny bags
Food and supplies dept has sought permission from the Centre for using already used bags for packaging rice
OF THE 204 LAKH TONNE PADDY WAS PROCURED IN PUNJAB DURING THE KHARIF SEASON, 135 LAKH TONNE RICE IS EXPECTED TO BE SHELLED
CHANDIGARH : The delivery of milled rice to the Food Corporation of India (FCI) by the Punjab food and civil supplies department has taken a hit with the state’s millers facing an acute shortage of gunny bags due to the closure of jute mills in West Bengal in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The department has sought permission from the Centre for using already used gunny bags for packaging of rice. As per the FCI norms, rice has to be handed over in gunny (jute) bags.
“We need 5.36 lakh bales for handing over rice (to FCI) from paddy procurement done recently. There is a shortage of at least one-third of the total requirement (1.78 lakh bales).
This has slowed down milling of paddy by the shellers,” said a senior food and civil supplies department official.
Of the 204 lakh tonne paddy was procured in Punjab during the kharif season, 135 lakh tonne rice is expected to be shelled. “The Centre had sanctioned us 3.81 lakh bales of which 25,000 have still not arrived,” another official said.
In a meeting with Union food and public distribution minister Piyush Goyal, two cabinet ministers from the state — Manpreet Singh Badal and Bharat Bhushan Ashu — had highlighted the shortage. The main agenda of the meeting was release of rural development fund to the tune of Rs 1,250 crore on paddy sale in the state, which was denied. The meeting could not reach a conclusion.
To cover the gap, the rice millers have been told to make their own arrangements and use used, quality bags.
“The millers have been asked to make arrangements for bags within the specification of 500 gram weight. We are continuously pushing for fresh supply of bags,” the official added.