The Chhattisgarh Government would ask the Central Government for funds to set up a series of food godowns in the State, an official said on Monday.
The State Government has been giving emphasis on setting up new godowns for storage of paddy and other agricultural produce. In this connection, Food Minister Punnulal Mohle will meet Union Minister for Food and Civil Supplies Ram Vilas Paswan and hold discussions with him.
Paswan is scheduled to visit the State on Tuesday to inaugurate the Regional Office of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) here. During the meeting, he will request him to set up new FCI (Food Corporation of India) depots in the State.
In the inaugural ceremony, Chief Minister Raman Singh, Food Minister Mohle will also be present. Sources said the State Government is likely to draw the attention of the Union Minister towards the problems the State had been facing with storage of paddy.
The Central Government has been providing funds to States under the ‘Private Godowns Scheme.’ The State Government is likely urge the Union Minister to sanction funds for construction of godowns with a storage capacity of 15 lakh tonnes each.
The State is also likely to provide a thrust on the capacity enhancement of existing godowns. Sources said that the State’s rice millers are also likely to meet the Union Minister to air their grievances.
According to Chhattisgarh Rice Millers Association president Yogesh Agrawal, the payment the Government has been offering to millers towards custom milling is very less and the rate has not been reviewed for the last 10-15 years. The millers will seek review of the rates and request the Minister for its hike.
Punjab produces higher quantity of basmati rice with less presence of broken rice whereas in Chhattisgarh, the quantum of broken rice quantity is higher, he said. The Government must fix the rate of broken rice on the basis of the State’s geographical situation, he said.