New Delhi, March 26, 2025 (Yes Punjab News)
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Wednesday urged Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Prahlad Joshi to intervene and ensure the speedy movement of food grains from the state. This is aimed at facilitating smooth procurement and storage of wheat and rice in the upcoming Rabi Marketing Season (RMS) 2025-26.
During his meeting with the Union Minister, Mann highlighted that Punjab is expected to procure 124 LMT (Lakh Metric Tonnes) of wheat in the Rabi season starting April 1, 2025. Additionally, 5 LMT of wheat from the previous crop season remains stocked, bringing the total storage requirement to 129 LMT. With limited storage space, much of the covered area is already occupied by rice, creating an urgent need for immediate transportation of wheat out of Punjab.
Request for Special Trains and Rice Movement Approval
To address this issue, the Chief Minister requested the Centre to arrange at least 25 LMT of wheat transportation through direct delivery special trains. He emphasized that only 45% of the due rice has been accepted by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) due to space constraints. As of now, only 7.50 LMT storage is available with FCI, while 71.50 LMT of rice is yet to be delivered. Mann urged the FCI to expedite rice transportation to prevent delays in rice milling for Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2024-25.
Call for Fair Compensation for Arthias (Commission Agents)
Mann also raised the issue of Arthia Commission for Wheat Procurement at Silos. He noted that previous discussions with the Department of Food & Public Distribution (DFPD), Government of India had suggested that if Arthia Commission at silos is paid at par with mandi purchases, the government could save on mandi labor and transportation charges. He requested the Centre to approve equal commission rates for silos and mandis.
Further, Mann highlighted that the Arthia Commission has been frozen since 2020-21 at Rs. 46.00/qtl for wheat and Rs. 45.88/qtl for paddy, while under the Punjab Agriculture Produce Marketing Act, 1961, the commission should be 2.5% of the Minimum Support Price (MSP). For RMS 2025-26, this would amount to Rs. 60.63/qtl. He warned that continued restriction on Arthia Commission could lead to protests, as seen during the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2024-25, where arthias went on strike, disrupting procurement operations.
Demand for Release of RDF Funds
Additionally, the Punjab CM urged the Centre to release the pending Rural Development Fund (RDF). He emphasized that Punjab has completed all formalities, and the Centre must release the funds without delay. Expressing frustration, Mann stated that states are not beggars and deserve their rightful share rather than being subjected to bureaucratic hurdles.
Centre Assures Consideration of Punjab’s Demands
In response, Union Minister Prahlad Joshi assured CM Bhagwant Singh Mann that the Centre will sympathetically consider Punjab’s demands and work towards addressing the challenges in food grain procurement and storage.
