Centre Agrees To Advance Paddy Procurement
The Centre has conceded the Punjab government's demand for starting paddy procurement operations two weeks ahead of schedule to ensure smooth marketing of an anticipated record rice crop this year.
It has also accepted the state's plea to decongest it of foodgrains to make room for the fresh crop.
These decisions were taken at a meeting between Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and Union food minister S S Barnala here yesterday. State food minister Madan Mohan Mittal and representatives of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) were also present at the meeting.
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Briefing newspersons, Barnala said the overall availability and prices of foodgrains throughout the country were also reviewed at a meeting between food ministry officials and state food secretaries.
Barnala and Mittal said the paddy procurement in Punjab was likely to touch the 12 million tonne mark this year in view of the anticipated bumper crop. Last year, about 9.8 million tonnes of paddy was procured by FCI and state agencies.
Since the crop was sown relatively earlier this year, the arrivals of the new grain in mandis were also expected to start early.
It had, therefore, been decided to start procurement from September 15, instead of October 1.
Badal appraised the Centre of foodgrains congestion in the state, with most godowns brimming with wheat and paddy.
The Union government, therefore, decided to speed up the movement of foodgrains from Punjab to other areas.
About 22 to 23 rakes would be loaded and despatched daily from Punjab. The objective was to clear about 2.5 million tonnes of grains from the state by October by moving out 8 lakh tonnes every month.
Mittal said the state government was not satisfied with the new paddy procurement price of Rs 440 a quintal for the common variety and Rs 470 for the `grade A' type.