BJP urges Union minister to address demands of sheller, arhtiya, and flour mill assns

Chandigarh: BJP leaders Sunil Jakhar, Tarun Chugh, and a delegation representing Punjab's sheller, arhtiya, and flour mill associations met Union minister for consumer affairs, food and public distribution Pralhad Joshi and urged him to address their pending demands at the earliest.Speaking after the meeting, Jakhar said the Union minister heard the delegation's concerns and assured them that the issues would be examined. He added that these stakeholders play a significant role in Punjab's agricultural economy and that some of the matters fall within the jurisdiction of the Punjab govt.Jakhar said the state govt's policy regarding fortified rice caused concern among sheller owners. During the Kharif Marketing Season 2025-26, Punjab rice millers are required to deliver around 105 lakh metric tonnes of rice to the Food Corporation of India for the central pool. Of this, about 85 lakh metric tonnes is to be supplied as fortified rice, which requires the blending of fortified rice kernels.The state govt issues tenders for empanelment of FRK manufacturers and procures FRK from them to provide to rice millers for blending with rice for fortification. He said widespread dissatisfaction, concern, and anger prevailed among more than 5,000 rice millers because they were not receiving FRK on time, which prevented them from supplying rice on schedule. In the coming hot months, paddy stored since October 2025 may become difficult to convert into good-quality rice, leading to potential financial losses.The delegation demanded that since the central govt has sufficient fortified rice stocks to meet distribution needs for the next two years, Punjab should be allocated at least 20-25 LMT CMR quota, including 25% broken rice, to reduce pressure on FRK supply.They also demanded that the department of food and public distribution (DFPD) should be directed to expedite the FRK testing process in its laboratories so that FRK is made available on time. Additional staff should be deployed if necessary. Regular monitoring of rice movement out of Punjab should be ensured to speed up lifting and create adequate space for fresh deliveries. A permanent mechanism should be announced for rational fixation of FRK procurement rates to avoid such situations in the future. Automatic Grain Analyser (AGA) machines should be implemented at all FCI depots to ensure grain quality, reduce human intervention, and curb corruption. Labour and transportation charges for rice, as provided by the Centre, should be ensured to be paid to the mills.Speaking about the demands of the arhtiya association, it was said more than 50,000 arhtiyas play a crucial role in the state's marketing infrastructure. However, fixing their commission created difficulties, especially as inflation and other expenses are continuously rising. The demand was made to restore the 2.5% commission. They also demanded the early release of Rs 50 crore withheld by FCI in the name of EPF, and clearance of pending commission dues for the year 2023-24.