Punjab Rice Millers sounds revolt bugle; announces to neither provide Bardana, nor apply for allotment of paddy or sign agreement
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in News/ October 2,2024
“The participation of Rice Millers from all over the State in the meeting held at Patiala has proved that “Unity is Strength”. In Punjab false rumours are being spread by the officers that 300 millers have applied for allotment of paddy during the KMS 2024-25, whereas certain millers were instigated whose stacks were under replacement, those facing CBI cases and allotted last year following the orders of High Court and those who face rejection of stacks of fortified rice of last year and as such 50-60 Sheller owners fell in their trap under duress” said Tarsem Saini, President Punjab Rice Millers Association.
“Millers of Punjab felt that Food and Supplies Department Punjab for the last four months is making false promises to refund the levy securities, transportation charges and 10% securities deducted for the last 6-7 years. Even the user charger of Bardana of KMS 2023-24 have not been paid despite repeated requests made verbally and in writing. So, the millers taking into consideration the performance of the Department did not think it appropriate to carry out the business with them because in the past years Govt. has been making all out efforts to save this Agro based Industry during crises” added Saini.
“During the course of meeting with the Chief Minister Punjab, on 26th September 2024, we were assured that State Govt. would compel the Central Govt. to accelerate the movement of Rice so as to create space, but nothing has happened so far at the ground level” disclosed Saini.
“Millers have gained the experience from the last year that from time to time Govt. machinery used to divide the millers center wise as in the last season by having issued gate passes of two truck each to certain millers as a result of which excess stocks were stored with them and those millers were now reeling under heavy financial burden and neither the concerned Deputy Commissioner nor the Food Department came forward for their help” said Bharat Bhushan Binta
“Not to speak of the above, the rice millers were compelled to deliver rice at a distance of 100 km to 200 km without transportation charges as the FCI did not reimburse the freight charges, whereas as per the policy of Govt. of India, the FCI has to reimburse the said charges beyond 0 km onwards, but the Food Secretary to Punjab Government and Director Food and Supplies Punjab prevailed upon the millers to deliver rice at the fartherest distance without transportation expenses instead of restraining FCI for their high handedness” added Binta
Taking into consideration the past experience 90% millers of the state have not undertaken the repair of their units and even they are not in a position to make advance payments to the laborers.
“In today’s General House meeting, it has been unanimously decided by the millers that they will neither provide Bardana, nor apply for allotment of paddy or will not enter into agreement. Apart from the above, last year hybrid variety paddy was sown, which further aggravated the situation as broken percentage out of these stocks worked out to be 30-45% and more over rice yield was merely 61-62 kg. whereas the millers were bound to deliver 67% yield. Similar situation will be faced during this season due to large quantity sown of these verities” added the spokesperson of the Punjab Rice Millers association.
“Taking into consideration the above situations Rice Industry has decided to continue their struggle and if any officer tried to use any force against any miller, the Association will confront under such difficult situation. In such a circumstances all the millers by raising their hands took a firm decision to face aggression of Govt. Machinery for which District wise teams shall be constituted for this purpose so as to collectively support the miller concerned in event of any coercion” said Saini
Association at the same time asserted that senior Govt. Machinery has claimed to make available the vacant space to the time of 20 Lac. MT by December 2024, so the Association suggested the State Govt. to supply 50% store the same on the proposed space and millers upon the acceptance of their demands will undertake its milling and moreover Bardana will also be supplied.
President of Haryana Rice Millers Association Hansraj, Jewal Singh Lal and Satpal also asserted that millers of Haryana will support Punjab Rice Millers and also continue their strike and also decided not to undertake the work of fortified rice. Further lot of improvement is required in the Wings-App and AGA Machines under use by the Food Corporation so as to save the millers from exploitation.
Bharat Bhushan Binta (President Rice Industry), Bal Krishan Bali, Sat Parkash Goyal (Senior Vice President Punjab Rice Millers Association), Gurdeep Singh Cheema (District President Patiala) and District Presidents of various districts such as Vijay Kumar (Bathinda), Sanjeev Kumar (Barnala), Hardeep Singh (Sangrur), Charanjit Singh (Faridkot), Raj Kumar (Jalandhar), Rajinder Salvan (Amritsar), Inderjeet Singh (Fatehgarh), Balwinder Singh (Pathankot &Gurdaspur), Ankur Gupta and Rajesh Dalli (Ludhiana), Maninder Verma (Ropar), Vinod Bansal (Moga), Davinder Bir Singh (Kaurthala) and Gurmeet Singh Talwandi (Ferozepur) were also present on this occasion.
On the other hand, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Tuesday sought the kind intervention of Union consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister to accept the genuine demands of the millers.
In a letter to the Union Minister, Bhagwant Singh Mann said that generally FCI receives milled rice by March 31 but during KMS 2023-24, FCI could not provide space for the milled rice and so the delivery period had to be extended upto September 30, 2024. The Chief Minister said that under these circumstances, millers of Punjab are reluctant to lift and store paddy which will be coming to the Mandis during KMS 2024-25. He said that the millers have been emphasising that it is necessary that every month at least 20 lakh MT of rice/wheat is shifted out of Punjab from COVERED STORAGE.
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