ORDERS: Punjab Govt orders to lower milling capacity of rice mills storing lees paddy

Chandigarh, November 9, 2012: The Punjab government has issued strict directions to lower the milling capacity of all those rice mills which are storing less paddy than its allotted capacity. Written orders in this regards have been issued to all the district food controllers by the food and civil supplies department.

Disclosing this here today Adesh Pratap Singh Kairon, food and civil supplies minister Punjab, said that the government is also envisaging setting up new rice mills on capital subsidy in those areas where there is scarcity of rice mills. He said that this practice would solve the problem of paddy storage and its transportation.

Satwant Singh Johl, food and civil supplies commissioner Punjab said that some of the rice mills in the state have not been storing paddy as per their allotted capacity which created big impediment in the way of paddy storage. He said that pursuing strict instruction from the government on this issue, the milling capacity of 47 rice mills has been lowered.

He further said that in future all the rice mills would be allotted the milling capacity considering their present storing trends. Johl said that rice mill owner in the state have taken permission from the government to store paddy to a certain limit and they are supposed to arrange the machinery and land for the storage of paddy. He said that despite that some of the rice mills owners are refusing to store paddy as per their allotted limit, which created lot of hurdles for the state government to store paddy. He said that under these conditions the Punjab Government has taken decision to lower the milling capacity of all these erring rice mills.