Naveen Patnaik asks Centre to lift 20 lakh tonne of surplus rice

Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik said about 65 lakh metric tonne of paddy has been procured for Kharif Marketing Season 2022-23 in Odisha till March 22

Published on: Mar 27, 2023, 22:11:32 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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Odisha will have about about 20 lakh metric tonne of surplus rice after meeting all its requirements, chief minister Naveen Patnaik said in a letter to the central government to seek its intervention.

Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik (PTI)

In a letter to union minister for consumer affairs, food and public distribution Piyush Goyal, the chief minister said around 65.23 lakh metric tonne of paddy, which is equivalent of 44.23 lakh metric tonne custom milled rice CMR), has been procured for Kharif Marketing Season 2022-23 in Odisha till March 22 and the minimum support price (MSP) dues of about ₹13,081 crore have been transferred to the bank account of farmers.

It is expected that around 10 lakh metric tonne of CMR will be procured in Odisha during the ensuing Rabi (KMS 2022-23). Thus, altogether 54 lakh metric tonne of CMR is likely to be procured in the state during KMS 2022-23.

“Odisha will utilize 24 lakh metric tonne rice under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), State Food Security Scheme (SFSS) and other welfare schemes. The Department of Public Distribution of the Centre has issued a target of 10.33 lakh metric tonne of fortified parboiled rice for acceptance by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) from Odisha during KMS 2022-23. So, Odisha will be left with around 20 lakh metric tonne of surplus rice,” Patnaik said in the letter.

Non-evacuation of the surplus rice from Odisha will severely affect the paddy procurement operations in the state, Patnaik said, stressing that the state does not have the storage capacity to accommodate the surplus rice. Stating that one lakh tonne of rice will be lost due to deterioration in quality costing ₹320 crore for the exchequer, he said that if like last year the FCI lifts 17 lakh tonne of rice, then 13 lakh tonne will be left with the state.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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