Fortified rice kernel procurement row in Haryana: Millers say no to custom-milling of rice

Three days after getting assurance from the Additional Chief Secretary, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department, Sumita Misra, in Chandigarh, hundreds of rice millers of the state on Monday held a meeting in Karnal and announced that they would not deliver the custom-milled rice (CMR) against the paddy allotted to them if their demands were not met.

Millers of different associations, including the Haryana Pradesh Rice Millers and Dealers Association and Haryana Rice Millers and Dealers Association, expressed their displeasure over some conditions imposed on the procurement of fortified rice kernels (FRK) from any manufacturer holding a Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) licence, including an undertaking on a stamp paper of Rs 100, to ensure the quality and proper supply of the FRK.

Last year, the state government had floated a tender and eligible manufacturers were allotted work for the distribution of FRK, but this year, the millers have been allowed to procure the FRK from the open market.

Amarjeet Chhabra, state president, Haryana Pradesh Rice Millers and Dealers Association, Jewel Singla, chairman of Haryana Rice Millers and Dealers Association, jointly announced that they would not be involved in the delivering of the CMR until the government withdrew the condition of undertaking of quality of FRK from millers, instead it should be taken from the manufacturers of the FRK or the government should provide it.

Chabbar and Singla, while interacting with mediapersons, said the government had fixed a rate of Rs 4,800 per quintal excluding the GST on the procurement of the FRK. “The manufacturers of FRK charge 18 per cent GST from us, but only 5 per cent GST is reimbursed to the millers. The government should fix the charging of 5 per cent GST,” they said.

“We held a meeting with the ACS and other officials on December 22 where we were assured that our issues would be resolved with certain changes in the undertaking. But the millers are not happy with the assurance, so we demand that the government should withdraw the condition of the undertaking. The undertaking of quality should be taken from manufacturers who supply the FRK to us,” said Chhabra.

“Every year, Haryana starts its CMR delivery by the first week of November, which helps in completing the majority of the CMR delivery by March 31 every year, but this year, the CMR delivery has not yet begun. Now, we have decided not to deliver the CMR if our demands are not fulfilled,” he said.

“We also demand the local godowns to be linked with mills for the delivery of the CMR,” he added. “If our demands are met, the government should reschedule the delivery period from the starting of the CMR along with rescheduling of bonus,” Chhabra said.

This article has been republished from The Tribune.