RICE CRISIS: Procurement of Punjab paddy for Central pool halts

PUNJAB is the highest contributor of rice in the Central pool. However, some 4,500 rice mills in the state have stopped functioning, bringing to a halt the procurement of paddy for the Central pool and consumer states.

- HARPREET BAJWA

The Food Corporation of India has pressed the panic button asking the state government to sort out the issue as it could cause disruption in paddy supply under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY).

A section of Punjab Food and Civil Supplies Department staff has been on an indefinite strike for almost a week following the arrest of two district food and supplies controllers in the ₹2,000-crore food grain transportation scam. The strike has affected around 30,000 artiyas (commission agents) and one lakh labourers and has delayed payment to at least 20% of farmers With only a day left for procurement, as much as 23,000 lakh metric tonne (LMT) paddy is yet to be procured.

This year 1.82 LMT of paddy has been procured and after milling, 1.21 LMT rice will be available, which is 25% of the total procurement of rice in the country (between 450 and 500 LMT per year).