Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Monday urged the Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan to restore the commission of the arhtiyas (commission agents) to the statutory norm of 2.5 per cent of the Minimum support price (MSP), warning that any deviation from the existing policy could cause serious disruptions to the paddy procurement process.
Observing that the flat rate commission provided for Rabi Marketing Season (RMS) was contrary to the statutory norms of 2.5 percent of MSP, Capt Amarinder has urged the Union Minister to accordingly amend the Provisional Cost Sheet for RMS 2020-21, issued by the Centre’s Department of Food and Public Distribution.
As per the Sheet, the arhtiya commission has been allowed at a flat rate of Rs 46 per quintal, which appears to be based on certain estimates of the actual expenditure incurred, he noted.
“Unrest is already brewing among the arhtiyas over this issue, which, if left unresolved, has the potential of seriously disrupting the smooth procurement of paddy during Kharif Marketing Season 2020-21,” the Chief Minister has said, in a letter to Paswan.