Bhubaneswar: The All Odisha Rice Millers Association has threatened to stop lifting paddy from December 1 unless the state government addresses its demands, including immediate clearance of accumulated rice stocks.
The association has issued a 10-day ultimatum to the government and submitted a 12-point charter of demands, warning that millers would not undertake fresh registration for paddy procurement until the existing rice stock is lifted.
According to the association, although around 10 lakh metric tonnes of paddy has been procured, only 36 lakh metric tonnes of rice has been lifted against the total stock of 63 lakh metric tonnes. Nearly 30 lakh metric tonnes, accounting for about 50 per cent of the stock, is still lying in rice mills, creating serious storage constraints.
The millers pointed out that the government is required to lift the processed rice within three months under the prescribed norms. However, the delay in lifting has left mills struggling with inadequate storage space, affecting their ability to accommodate fresh stocks.
Immediate lifting of the pending rice stock is the association’s principal demand. It has made it clear that millers will not register for fresh procurement until the accumulated stock is cleared.
The association has also raised concerns over reduced transportation charges compared to the rates applicable in 2018-19. It has sought restoration of the charges, besides demanding a revision of the drying and shrinkage allowance from the existing one per cent to 0.5 per cent, which it said has caused difficulties for millers.
Among other demands, the millers have sought corrective measures to address the frequent malfunctioning of the Vehicle Location Tracking Device (VLTD) server, which they alleged was causing unnecessary harassment. They have also demanded immediate release of pending dues.
The association warned that failure to resolve the issues within the stipulated 10-day period could disrupt paddy procurement operations across the state from December 1.
