With the deadline for Custom-Milled Rice (CMR) delivery approaching, the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department has constituted six committees to physically verify rice mills allocated paddy during the procurement season in Karnal district.
Physical Verification Teams Deployed
The teams will inspect rice mills across the district to assess CMR delivery status and verify the quantity of paddy stocks still lying in the mills. The findings will help determine whether the government should extend the June-end deadline for CMR delivery.
Under the existing CMR policy, rice millers must complete delivery by end of June. So far, nearly 65% of the rice has been delivered to the Food Corporation of India (FCI).
Mukesh Kumar, District Food and Supplies Controller (DFSC), said higher authorities deployed six teams for the district to physically verify all rice mills allotted paddy. “Based on the findings, the department will take a final decision on extension of the CMR delivery deadline,” Kumar said, adding that the teams are yet to start the verification process.
Delivery Schedule and Notices
As per the CMR policy, rice millers were required to deliver 15% by December-end, 25% by January-end, 20% by February-end, 15% by March-end, another 15% by May-end, and the remaining 10% by June-end. The department has already issued notices to millers who failed to meet their delivery targets.
Millers' Demand for Extension
The constitution of six teams is also a response to demands from the Karnal Rice Millers Association to extend the deadline due to logistical bottlenecks and inadequate storage space at FCI godowns. The association alleged that millers from neighboring districts like Ambala, Kurukshetra, and Yamunanagar were attached to FCI godowns in Karnal, causing congestion and shortage of space for local millers.
Saurabh Gupta, president of the Karnal Rice Millers Association, said local millers face severe difficulties delivering stock due to space shortage at FCI godowns. “We have repeatedly demanded a separate godown for Karnal’s CMR delivery. With only a few days left, the government should grant an extension,” Gupta said.
He maintained that the association approached officials of both FCI and the Food Department, but no solution was provided. Gupta also noted that millers earlier faced challenges due to non-availability of Fortified Rice Kernels (FRK) under the rice fortification programme, which was temporarily suspended by the Union Ministry on February 27 after concerns raised by millers and other stakeholders.
