Defaulting rice mills not to be allotted paddy for shelling

Chandigarh, Sep 16 (UNI) The Punjab Government has issued instructions that all rice mills that have not paid the bonus to the farmers in the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2007-08, as announced by the Union Government for the paddy purchased by them in their own account, would not be considered for allotment of paddy in 2008-09 KMS.

According to an official spokesman, the state government has taken a strict notice of failure of some rice mills in payment of bonus to the farmers and issued instructions in this regard. However, if the millers pay or deposit the bonus with their respective District Manager, Pungrain could be considered eligible for allotment.

Elaborating on the allotment policy and conditions for provisional registration, the spokesman said a rice mill that has failed to deliver custom-milled-rice of any agency of the previous years, including 2007-08 would not be considered for allotment.

Similarly, the rice mills that have not delivered 75 per cent levy rice in the KMS 2007-08 would also be debarred from the fresh allotment.

However, the Export Oriented Units (EOU) would be exempted from this restriction. This benefit would be limited to the millers who have exported the rice directly. No benefit would be given to the millers who have exported the rice indirectly or through 'H' form.

He added that if the owner/partner/director of a lessee/owner of a rice mill is a defaulter, the mill in question will not be considered for allotment. Similarly, if the miller had failed to mill paddy after the due notice and the agency had to shift paddy at the cost of the miller during the previous years then such mills would be treated as the defaulters.

He further said if any agency reports any case of mis-appropriation of paddy by a miller in the previous years, including Kharif 2007-08 Marketing Season, the rice mills would not be allotted paddy for milling.

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