New Delhi: With a contentious demand from Odisha for lifting of surplus parboiled rice from the State, the Central Government has opened an additional channel for the liquidation of par-boiled rice.
The Government of India has allowed the issue of non-fortified parboiled rice to the cooperative agencies like Kendriya Bhandar, National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED) and National Co-operative Consumers’ Federation of India Ltd. (NCCF) under Bharat Brand which opened an additional channel for the liquidation of par-boiled rice.
This was informed by Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Nimuben Jayantibhai Bambhaniya in a written reply to Rajya Sabha on 7 August.
While replying to a question of BJD MPs Niranjan Bishi and Sulata Deo, the Union Minister said approximately 22,600 MT parboiled rice has been liquidated for Bharat Rice till June end in Odisha.
She said the Food Corporation of India (FCI) has been continuously evacuating surplus par-boiled rice from all the surplus States including Odisha for dispatching to deficit States to meet their requirement of foodgrains undo National Food Security Act (NPS A)/Other Welfare Schemes (OWS).
A quantity of 9,58,964 MT parboiled Rice has already been dispatched from Odisha to other States. Receipt of rice in procuring States and its dispatch to consuming States is a continuous process, she added.
The target for delivery of fortified par-boiled Custom Milled Rice (CMR) for Odisha to Food Corporation of India (FCI) during Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2023-24 (Kharif + Rabi crop) is 26.50 Lakh MT.
As on July 24, 2024, 13.83 LMT fortified par-boiled Rice has been delivered to FCI by Odisha leaving a balance of 12.67 LMT. The last date for delivery of due CMI (pertaining to KMS 2023-24 in Central Pool for Odisha) is September, 2024.
The State Government has opted for the Decentralized Procurement (DCP) scheme for distribution of food grains to the beneficiaries under various Central schemes. Quarterly subsidy claims are raised after the distribution of food grains.
The Centre has provided Rs 7,600.05 crore to the State as food subsidy during the financial year 2022-23, which increased to Rs 14,473.68 crore during 2023-24. During the current financial year 2024-25, the Centre has released Rs 2120.25 crore to Odisha till July end.
However, the Union Minister has not informed about the outstanding payments that need to be paid to the Odisha State Civil Supplies Corporation in connection with paddy/rice procurement.