Punjab govt streamlines paddy storage and milling system

Chandigarh, Sep 17 (UNI) The Punjab Government has streamlined the policy for allotment of 'mandis' (purchase centres) to procurement agencies and storage of paddy for the ensuing kharif marketing season so as to ensure smooth procurement of the food grain and also to check pilferage and other malpractices.

Accroding to an official spokesman instructions had been issued by the Food and Supplies Department to ensure that the purchase centres should be linked with the nearest milling centres and storage centres. This should be done keeping in view the availability of milling capacity at the milling/storage centre at which the paddy is proposed to be stored or milled.

The spokesman said that all the procuring agencies had been directed to make necessary arrangements of linking the proposed purchase centres with the storage points and milling centres in such a way so as to incur bare minimum expenditure on transportation of the food grain.

He said that the food procurement agencies had been asked also to indicate at least one alternate storage point, where paddy could be stored in case of any exigency. This should be preferably got done by the agencies at the time of allotment of rice mills, he added.

He said that the storage of paddy at a particular milling centre would depend upon the clear and specific milling capacity available at that centre.

The spokesman clarified that a temporary purchase centres would operate only during the procurement period.

He said that arrangements had been made in all mandis for monitoring and controlling procurement and milling operations throughout the season.

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