Uttaranchal rice order peeves millers

Rice millers in Uttaranchal are peeved at the state government's move to ban the sale of rice to the central pool.

A new government order has been issued in this regard recently stating that Uttaranchal has stopped the sale of rice to the central pool, rice millers have said in a statement. Though no reason was given, the order came in the wake of non-procurement of rice in the state pool.

Uttaranchal Rice Millers' Association President P D Agarwal has taken up the matter with top officials, stating that since the government has made no arrangements for the payment of dues, millers should be allowed to sell their rice in the central pool.

"We get payment immediately as and when we sell our rice to the central pool. But getting payment from the state government is a very arduous task," Agarwal told Business Standard.

Agarwal said rice millers used to get their dues within three months time when Uttarnchal was part of Uttar Pradesh. But after the formation of Uttaranchal, this provision was lapsed forcing the state rice millers to sell their rice to central pool.

Agarwal claimed that the state government was forced to issue the new GO after it could only procure 40 percent of rice from the fixed quota.

In this regard, he said the state government has not made payment to the tune of Rs 25 crore to the state millers. A meeting between the government officials and rice millers is likely to be convened shortly to resolve the matter.