BHAWANIPATNA: Statement over paddy procurement continues in Kalahandi district due to non-cooperation of rice millers. Kharif paddy procurement, which was scheduled to start on November 1 in the district, is yet to begin through 30 per cent of the paddy has already been harvested and the rest are in different stages of growth.
District Civil Supply Officer Shiba Prasad Dora said 74 Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies ( PACS) will open 172 paddy purchase centres (PCCs) in the district to procure Kharif paddy and 75 millers had entered into an agreement to lift paddy from the PCCs and mill rice from the paddy. “Despite giving their consent to participate in the procurement process, the millers are not coming forward to execute the agreement and deposit bank guarantee on the plea of their pending demands,” he added.
On the other hand, president of Kalahandi District Rice Millers Association, Nalini Patjoshi said the association had submitted their five-point charter of demands to the State Government, which is yet to look into it. He said due to gunny bag depreciation charges, rice custody, maintenance and transportation charges, millers are incurring heavy financial loss.
He said gunny bag depreciation charge of only `12.50 per quintal is allowed by the Government against the actual cost of `30. As a result, the millers have been demanding reimbursement of at least half of the actual cost. As far as custody and maintenance charge for rice is concerned, the millers were paid `9.60 per quintal of paddy which was reduced to `4.80 last year. He alleged that for the last two years, the transportation charges have not been finalised. “Transportation cost has increased by 40 per cent due to the rise of fuel cost,” Patjoshi added.