Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday sought the personal intervention of Union Food and Civil Supplies Minister for directing the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to create sufficient space for the delivery of rice, so that procurement of paddy or rice of Kharif Marketing Season (KMS 2024-25) is carried out seamlessly in the State.

Mann, in a letter to the Union Food and Civil Supplies Minister, flagged the issue of serious lack of delivery space with the FCI. He bemoaned that there is a serious space crunch with FCI, especially since May onwards, which has hampered the delivery of rice of KMS 2023-24 by rice millers of the State to FCI in the Central Pool. It has also led to apprehension amongst the rice millers of the State about the space crunch during the ensuing Kharif Season 2024-25, he added.

The Chief Minister said that despite the best efforts of the State Government and the rice millers, so far, a total of 98.35 percent of all due rice could be delivered to FCI. “Owing to the persistent space deficit, the State Government was constrained to seek extension in milling period first till July 31, 2024, and then till August 31, 2024…Due to pendency of rice pertaining to KMS 2023-24 owing to space crunch, the Central Government has further extended the delivery period up till September 30, 2024,” he added.

Pointing that the State Government has been regularly taking up the issue of space shortage with the Centre, Mann said that the government has sought immediate redressal on this front by mobilization of additional rakes of wheat and paddy to the state.

He said that during upcoming season, around 185-190 LMT of paddy is expected to be procured resulting in the production of 120-125 LMT of rice for the central pool. “As of now, against a total covered space of 171 LMT available in the State, nearly 121 LMT rice and 50 LMT wheat is lying stored in the covered godowns and there is no space available to accommodate fresh rice crop,” he said.

Mann said that with rice millers expressing their apprehension over the space issue with the FCI, the state’s farmers may be impacted if timely space for ensuing Kharif is created by mobilizing additional rakes to the state of Punjab.

The Chief Minister said that the issue of storage space demands immediate an urgent attention and a minimum monthly movement or liquidation of 20 LMT of food grains, especially rice, is required every month from the State until March 2025, so that sufficient space is created to accommodate fresh rice of KMS 2024-25.

“In view of the above, the Union Minister should personally intervene to issue necessary directions to the FCI for making requisite arrangements of covered storage space. At least 25 rakes of wheat and rice must be mobilized from covered godowns per day from the state from September 24 to March 25 so that sufficient space is created for delivery of rice and procurement of paddy or rice of KMS 24-25 is carried out seamlessly in the State,” he added.