A deputation of rice millers, led by Punjab rice millers' president Tarsem Saini met Punjab food and civil supplies, consumer affairs minister Adesh Partap Singh Kairon and discussed the problems faced by them.
Senior office bearer of the association, Nakesh Jindal said during the meeting the minister told the delegation that he had taken up the issue of one-month custom milling extension with the union government as the date of milling of paddy in Punjab had already expired on September 30.
The delegation told the minister that still 3-lakh MT rice may be prepared and Rs 350 crore levy recovery notices are being served to the millers.
Jindal said the minister assured them that one-month time would be given to the rice mill owners to levy recovery and during this period Punjab government would contact Food Corporation of India for exemption of levy recovery.
Punjab government has already exempted levy as such rice mill owners were not supposed to pay any levy recovery.
The delegation told the minister that cost of gunnies against crop year 2012-13 is being demanded from rice mill owners with immediate effect but the rice millers requested that they should given three months to return the money.
{{/usCountry}}The delegation told the minister that cost of gunnies against crop year 2012-13 is being demanded from rice mill owners with immediate effect but the rice millers requested that they should given three months to return the money.
{{/usCountry}}During the meeting rice millers suggested that government agencies should utilise Bardana (gunny bags) but the minister told the delegation that government agencies had surplus Bardana so the state government would have to seek prior permission of union government in this regard.