Chandigarh, September 17: The Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Friday approved the Punjab Custom Milling Policy for Kharif 2021-22, for conversion of paddy procured by State Procurement Agencies (Pungrain, Markfed, Punsup and PSWC) into Custom Milled Rice and its delivery into the Central Pool.
According to a spokesperson of the Chief Minister’s Office, the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2021-22 would start from 1st October, 2021, and the operations would be completed by December 15, 2021. During KMS 2021-22, the paddy so procured would be stored in eligible rice mills situated in the State.
The policy provides for timely linking of the Rice Mills to the procurement centres, as per the purchase centre allotment list issued by the Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs department. The paddy would be stored at the eligible rice mills as per their entitlement, and the agreement executed between the State agencies and the rice millers. The rice millers shall deliver the rice from paddy stored up to 31st March, 2022 as per policy and agreement.
The Department continues to adopt the online procedures introduced during the previous year for processes like registration and allotment of Rice Mills, Physical Verification of Rice Mills, Submission of CMR and Levy Security, application for issue of Release Order and its fee submission, through the AnaajKharid Portal of this Department (https://anaajkharid.in/), and these are being implemented in a stringent manner. Randomised physical verification of the paddy stock would be conducted at the district and division level to check any kind of malpractices.
These steps have been taken by the Department in an endeavour to get the milling of paddy completed in time in a transparent manner and to plug any sort of pilferages/leakages in the stock.
Notably, the Department issues Custom Milling Policy every year before the commencement of the KMS to get the paddy milled, which is procured by the State Agencies as per the specifications laid down by the Government of India.
The Cabinet also approved the arrangements for the procurement of 191 LMT paddy keeping in view the actual production of paddy in the State during the last year. Accordingly, arrangements are being made for availing Cash Credit Limit (CCL) of Rs. 42012.13 crore as required to procure 95% shares allocated to the State Procuring Agencies.
While reviewing the preparedness for the Paddy procurement season 2021-22, the Cabinet was informed that adequate arrangements of labour & transportation of paddy from mandis to rice mills/storage point have would be made. For storage of the paddy, crates are to be arranged by the rice millers on their own, for which they would be paid user charges by the state agencies. Further, LDPE Polythene Tarpaulins are being arranged for safe keeping of paddy during storage. As per the guidelines of GoI, integration of the Land Records Portal of Revenue Department has been done with the Punjab Mandi Board Portal, as well as the Anaaj Kharid Portal of Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs department.
The Government of India has fixed Minimum Support Price (MSP) for common variety of paddy as Rs. 1,940/- per quintal and for grade ‘A’ variety paddy as Rs. 1,960/- per quintal for KMS 2021-22. The State procurement agencies Pungrain, Markfed, Punsup, PSWC, alongwith FCI would procure paddy on this MSP as per specifications laid down by Government of India.
The Punjab Mandi board has notified 1806 Purchase Centers, which would be allotted amongst various procurement agencies on September 25, 2021. Further, rice mills and other suitable public places would also be notified as temporary purchase centers for procurement of paddy during KMS 2021-22 so as to ensure staggered procurement of paddy as a preventive measure to curb the third wave of COVID-19 pandemic and avoid glut in the mandis.
All efforts shall be made to ensure smooth, hassle free and seamless procurement of paddy during the season by the department, it was decided at the cabinet meeting. FCI would procure paddy as per its allocated share, for which it is making its own arrangements of gunny bales, cash credit, stock articles and storage space.
