Sep 1, 2020
The state cabinet of Punjab sanctioned the new policy, aiming to guarantee seamless milling of paddy and delivery of rice into the central pool from more than 4,150 mills operating in the state of Punjab.
Punjab has projected to procure 170 lakh mts of paddy and the state is all set to go online with rice delivery operations, including feasible allotment, timely registration and physical verification of rice mills through videos, as part of the new milling policy for kharif 2020-21.
As per a state cabinet decision, the government is launching a dedicated portal www.anaajkharid.in benefiting to all. The state cabinet of Punjab sanctioned the new policy, aiming to guarantee seamless milling of paddy and delivery of rice into the central pool from more than 4,150 mills operating in the state of Punjab.
The state will be procuring nearly 170 lakh mts of paddy during kharif season beginning 1st October 2020. The total area under paddy sowing this year has come down to 26.60 lakh hectares, from 29.20 lakh hectares the previous season.
The target was to complete the custom milling of paddy, thereby delivering all due rice to Food Corporation of India (FCI) by 31st March 2021.
The whole range of yearly procurement operations i.e. from allotment of mills, their registration, application of release order, deposit of RO fee and levy, besides all important monitoring of stocks which will be done online on an uninterrupted basis.
All the state grain procuring agencies like MarkFed, Pungrain, Punsup, Punjab State Warehousing Corporation (PSWC), Food Corporation of India (FCI) and all the rice millers as well as stakeholders will operate and interact on the website, with the Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Punjab, acting as the nodal department.
Considering the concerned policy, the sole principle for the allotment of free paddy to mills this season would be the millers’ performance in the yester year. An additional percentage-wise incentive would be provided to mills as per their date of delivery of rice against milling of custom milled paddy, including RO paddy in the previous year.
Rice Mills which have completed their entire milling by January 31 would be eligible for an additional 15% of free paddy milled in 2019-20. Those who had completed delivery of rice by 28th February 2020 would get an additional 10% of free paddy.
In another measure to guard against paddy diversion, the RO paddy was brought into the territory of Custom Milling Security. In addition, a miller will have to purchase a minimum of 150 MTs of paddy in his own or deposit an amount of Rs. 5 lakh which will be non-refundable in state treasury and Rs. 5 lakh in the form of refundable security online in Pungrain account.