Storage crunch: Centre allows Punjab to shift 12 lakh tonnes of old rice to UP

Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Tuesday said the government has allowed Punjab, which is facing storage problem ahead of wheat procurement next month, to shift 12 lakh tonnes of surplus rice to Uttar Pradesh.

Punjab's Food Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, who met Paswan in the national capital here, sought central government's intervention to address storage problem in the state.

"There is astorage issue in Punjab. The state still has a rice stock of 38 lakh tonnes from the 2018-19 crop year. We have given direction for evacuating about 12 lakh tonnes of stock to Uttar Pradesh," Paswan told PTI after the meeting.

He said Uttar Pradesh and Haryana have storage space for food grains and grains from Punjab can be kept there.

Harvested wheat and paddy shelled two years ago is still in the state's godowns.

The food grains are stored in open plinths, covered godowns and silos.

Wheat harvesting will begin from next month and the state is expecting a bumper crop with total arrival of about 135 lakh tonnes.