Bhubaneswar: BJD MP Dr. Sasmit Patra raised the issue of Food Corporation of India (FCI) not lifting surplus parboiled rice from Odisha, which is the duty of the Centre, in the Rajya Sabha on Friday.
During the Question Hour today, Patra asked Union Food and Public Distribution Minister Piyush Goyal to ask FCI to lift surplus parboiled rice from Odisha otherwise the farmers of Odisha would be greatly affected.
Patra further cited that earlier Goyal had agreed to help when the BJD delegation had met him. But the FCI again deciding not to lift surplus parboiled rice from Odisha would greatly affect Odisha and the farmers of the State.
Earlier on October 10, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi had sought his intervention for accepting the estimated surplus parboiled rice from the State for the next Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2021-22.
Patnaik drew the Prime Minister’s attention on a letter of Government of India dated 31.8.2021 intimating that for the next KMS no surplus parboiled rice shall be accepted from Odisha by the Food Corporation of India.
The Chief Minister stated that non-lifting of surplus parboiled rice from the State due to the restrictions imposed by DFPD has the potential of severely affecting the State’s paddy procurement operations. This will affect about 10 lakh farmers and put them in serious trouble especially during this Covid pandemic situation.
He requested the Prime Minister to issue a direction to DFPD to accept the estimated surplus parboiled rice from the State for the next KMS 2021-22. Patnaik also asked reasonable time be given to the State to align itself with the requirements of DFPD.