Paddy worth lakhs starts decaying

In Ferozepur division, where the problem is more acute, about one-third of the total procured paddy of the last season, has yet to be shelled. The helpless officers are watching all this with baited breath, as the rainy season, which may lead to further decay of paddy stored in the open, is round the corner.

The problem arose after the government recently declared concessions for the state procurement agencies of weight up to 1.5 kilo per quintal due to dryness of moisture content and acceptance of broken rice, the limit of which has been increased from 24 to 33 per cent.

As FCI, the biggest procurement agency which procures at least 40 per cent of the total paddy produce, has been left out of these concessions, the mills allotted to it have virtually stopped milling of paddy for the FCI, for obvious reasons.

Now, the FCI which has been left behind so far as the milling of paddy is concerned, has allegedly started causing problems in the shelling work of state procurement agencies.8220; As the FCI is the sole purchasing agency for rice from the state agencies, it has started creating problems in accepting rice, on one pretext or another,8221; alleges Inderdeep Singh, deputy director, Punjab Food and Civil Supplies Department. This division in Mansa is the worst-affected, where only 31 per cent of the shelling targets have been met.

As the problem is lingering on, shelling of paddy of 2.2. lakh mt in Ferozepur, 32,000 mt in Faridkot, 75,000 mt in Bathinda, 1.47 lakh mt in Mansa, 9,000 mt in Muktsar and 81,000 mt in Moga comes under shadow.

No senior FCI officer was available for comments. Deputy Director, Food and Civil Supplies Department, Inderdeep Singh when contacted said that he had apprised the higher authorities about the situation.