Punjab Paddy Procurement: Union Minister Bittu Reviews FCI Operations

Chandigarh, Oct 27 (PTI) Union Minister of State Ravneet Singh Bittu here on Sunday held a high-level meeting with officials of Food Corporation of India (FCI) to review the movement and procurement of food grains in Punjab, said an official statement.

The meeting was held against the backdrop of the Kharif marketing season for 2024-25 and the ongoing concerns over paddy procurement, management, and storage in Punjab.

This meeting is part of the Government of India's commitment to supporting Punjab's agricultural sector and ensuring the welfare of farmers, the statement said.

The meeting held by the Minister for Food Processing Industries and Railways was attended by Punjab FCI General Manager B Srinivasan and other senior FCI officials who briefed the Minister on the current state of paddy procurement and storage.

They reported that Punjab's paddy procurement is estimated to reach 186 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) this season, with approximately 49.88 LMT having been procured already, as per the statement.

It was informed that the state of Punjab currently benefits from a robust total storage capacity of 174 LMT, which includes FCI-owned storage capacity of 124 LMT and an additional 49 LMT of state agencies capacity.

At present, 116.20 LMT of rice and 58.07 LMT of wheat, i.e., a total of 174.27 LMT, is stored in Punjab.

Meanwhile, after the meeting, Bittu said that substantial efforts are underway to transport produce out of Punjab, from April to October, 95.16 LMT of rice and wheat were transported from the state through 2,684 dedicated rake movements, freeing up additional storage capacity in the state.

The minister said that the Centre has approved the construction of 31 LMT of new storage capacity in the state. Out of this, he said that 9 LMT capacity was approved last year and the tender for the same is yet to be finalised by the state government. Around 22 LMT capacity was approved last week.

The minister informed that a total of 2,684 rakes have been moved from Punjab, from April 2024 up to October 26, 2024. A total of 95 LMT of food grains has been shifted to other states from Punjab, he said.

The minister further said that for smooth procurement of rice, FCI has a vacant space of around 15 LMT at present and that around 40 LMT space is to be created by December 2024 and that 90 LMT space will be created by March 2025.

Bittu said that earlier, the allotment of storage for paddy and wheat was done separately, but that this time, permission has been given to store rice instead of wheat wherever required.

The minister further emphasized that Rs 44,000 crore has been allocated for MSP payments to ensure that farmers receive fair and timely remuneration for their produce.

Bittu also emphasized that while the Government of India has fulfilled its fiscal responsibilities, it is now incumbent upon the Punjab government, to ensure that these funds reach farmers within 48 hours of procurement.

Reaffirming the Government's commitment to supporting the agricultural sector, the Minister spoke of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a self-reliant and prosperous agricultural community.

He assured the farming community that every possible measure is being undertaken to ensure efficient crop procurement across Punjab.

Meanwhile, earlier in the day, the Centre had dismissed reports of storage space shortage affecting paddy procurement in Punjab, terming them "misinformation" created with "vested interests".

Union Food Minister Prahlad Joshi on Sunday assured that creating adequate storage space remains the government's responsibility.

"Some rumours are being spread. I want to clearly state that creating space is our responsibility. We will take care of that," Joshi said during a media briefing accompanied by Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra and FCI Chairman Vanita Rattan Sharma.

Earlier on Saturday, Bittu lashed out at the AAP government in Punjab over the "tardy" paddy lifting, calling it "ineffective" and "immature" dispensation and said it led the state farmers to face hardships in grain markets.

On Sunday, a delegation of Punjab BJP leaders that included Avinash Rai Khanna, Preneet Kaur, Harjit Singh Grewal, Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi, Vijay Sampla, met Governor Gulab Chand Kataria and submitted a memorandum alleging inefficiency on part of the AAP government in the state for "tardy" paddy lifting.

The delegation urged the governor to intervene and ensure the complete lifting of paddy from mandis as a "gift" to the farmers of the state so that they can "celebrate Diwali and Bandi Chhor Divas with their families".