The All Odisha Rice Millers Association has threatened to cease paddy lifting on December 1st if the state government does not comply with its demands, which include the prompt clearing of accumulating rice inventories. In addition to submitting a 12-point charter of demands and a 10-day ultimatum to the government, the association warned that millers would not register for new paddy procurement unless the current rice stock was lifted.
The group claims that just 36 lakh metric tons of rice have been lifted out of the 63 lakh metric tons of total stock, despite the fact that about 10 lakh metric tons of paddy have been purchased. There are significant storage limitations because about 30 lakh metric tons, or roughly 50% of the stock, are still in rice mills. The millers emphasized that, in accordance with the established guidelines, the government must remove the processed rice within three months. However, mills are having trouble finding enough storage space as a result of the lifting delay, which limits their capacity to handle new stocks.
The association’s main demand is the immediate lifting of the pending rice stock. It has stated that until the accumulated stock is emptied, millers would not register for new purchases. Concerns about lower transportation costs in comparison to those in effect in 2018–19 have also been voiced by the association. In addition to calling for a modification of the drying and shrinking allowance from the current one percent to 0.5 percent, which it claimed has caused problems for millers, it has demanded the reinstatement of the costs.
The millers have demanded, among other things, corrective action to deal with the Vehicle Location Tracking Device (VLTD) server’s regular malfunctions, which they claimed were generating needless harassment. Additionally, they have called for the prompt payment of outstanding debts. The group issued a warning that paddy procurement activities throughout the state could be disrupted starting on December 1 if the problems are not resolved within the allotted 10-day period.
