Haryana Rice Millers Association ends strike after assurance from Chief Minister Sh. Nayab Singh Saini
Chandigarh, October 10: Following an assurance from Haryana Chief Minister Sh. Nayab Singh Saini to resolve all their issues, the Haryana Rice Millers Association has declared to end their strike and resume lifting paddy in mandis across the state.
In a meeting with representatives of the association held in Chandigarh today, Sh. Saini addressed several demands, noting that maximum demands are related to the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and the Central Government. He assured the representatives that these issues would be taken up with the Central Government to prevent any inconvenience to farmers and traders. In response, the Association thanked the Chief Minister and assured that they would restart the lifting process immediately.
With regard to the request to enhance milling charges, the Chief Minister stated that as milling charges are set by the Government of India, the State Government would request the Central Government regarding the enhancement. In case, milling charges are not enhanced by the Central Government, the State Government may consider granting additional bonus to the millers, he added. He also stated that the request to restore driage charges from 0.5 percent to 1 percent would also be taken up.
Regarding the out-turn ratio for hybrid paddy, the Chief Minister assured the Association that the matter will be taken up with the Central Government with the recommendation to consider the demand of millers to decrease the out turn ratio. A study has been entrusted to IIT Kharagpur with the representatives of FCI. The study team is likely to visit the rice mills of Haryana in the month of October/November 2024. The Chief Minister assured that adequate arrangements are being made for the storage of 16 lakh metric tons of paddy across various FCI godowns in the state. Currently, 8 lakh metric tons of storage capacity is available, with an additional 8 lakh metric tons expected to be ready by December 2024.
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*Haryana Chief Secretary Directs Administrative Secretaries to Personally Visit Paddy and Millet Procurement Arrangements in State Mandis*
Chandigarh, October 10 - Haryana Chief Secretary, Dr. TVSN Prasad has directed all Administrative Secretaries to personally oversee the ongoing procurement of paddy and millet in the state mandis. The Administrative Secretaries have been asked to visit mandis tomorrow to ensure that all arrangements are in place for smooth and efficient procurement.
While presiding over a virtual review meeting with Deputy Commissioners and Divisional Commissioners regarding kharif crops procurement, stubble burning, and the production and sale of firecrackers, Dr. Prasad directed the officers to ensure transparency and efficiency in the procurement processes across all mandis in the state. He asked the officers to check the essential facilities such as weighing machines, moisture measuring equipment, transportation, and storage to be fully operational. Furthermore, he directed them to interact with farmers and address any concerns they might have regarding the procurement process. He called on Deputy Commissioners to expedite the lifting of paddy arrived in mandis, as the volume of arrivals is expected to increase in the coming week.
Dr. Prasad also extended his congratulations to all Deputy Commissioners and other administrative officers for their commendable efforts in ensuring a transparent, fair, and smoothly conducted assembly election process.
Focus on Stubble Burning Control
In light of the ongoing issue of stubble burning and its impact on air quality, Dr. Prasad directed Deputy Commissioners and Divisional Commissioners to take immediate action to monitor and control incidents of stubble burning across the state. He urged them to utilize satellite data and ground reports to actively track fire incidents and work closely with relevant departments such as agriculture and pollution control boards to respond swiftly.
He further stressed the need for effective outreach programs to educate farmers on the harmful effects of stubble burning, urging district authorities to promote eco-friendly crop residue management techniques and government subsidies for equipment like super seeders and happy seeders. While strict enforcement measures against violators are necessary, Dr. Prasad emphasized a focus on preventive action through collaboration with the farming community.
Strict Enforcement on Firecrackers Ahead of Festival Season
Ahead of the festival season, Dr. Prasad instructed district authorities to enforce a strict ban on the production, sale, and use of firecrackers containing harmful barium salts. In compliance with state and national pollution control measures, only eco-friendly, green firecrackers are to be allowed.
Nodal officers should be appointed in each district to monitor the manufacturing, sale, and storage of firecrackers. These officers will work closely with law enforcement agencies to conduct raids on illegal manufacturing units and sales outlets violating the ban. Public awareness campaigns must be launched to inform citizens about the environmental and health benefits of green firecrackers, he added.
Additional Chief Secretary, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department. Dr. Sumita Misra, Additional Chief Secretary, Finance and Planning, Mr. Anurag Rastogi, Additional Chief Secretary, Environment, Mr. Anand Mohan Sharan, Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Mr. Raja Sekhar Vundru, Additional Chief Secretary, Citizen Resources Information Department, Mr. V. Umashankar, MD, Haryana State Warehousing Corp. Ltd and Director General, Information, Public Relations, Languages & Culture Department, Mr. K.Makarand Pandurang, Additional Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Ms. Ashima Brar and other senior officers of the state were also present in the meeting.
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ECI issues order to lift MCC in Haryana- Chief Electoral Officer
Chandigarh, October 10- Haryana Chief Electoral Officer, Sh. Pankaj Agarwal said that with the completion of the electoral process of Haryana Legislative Assembly General Elections-2024, Model Conduct of Conduct has been lifted in the state.
Sh.Agarwal said that the Election Commission of India has issued a necessary notification in this regard. Copies of the notification have been sent to the Cabinet Secretary of the Government of India, Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi, the Chief Secretary, Haryana and the Chief Electoral Officer, Haryana for their information.
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7.25 lakh MT of Paddy procured in Haryana so far
Rs.155 crores transferred directly into the accounts of farmers' for paddy procurement
Over 1.31 lakh MT of bajra purchased by the government
Chandigarh, October 10 - During the ongoing paddy procurement for the Kharif Marketing Season 2024-25, a total of 7,25,158 MT of paddy has been purchased across Haryana so far. Besides this, 1,61,922 MT of paddy have been lifted. A sum of Rs 155.23 crore has already been transferred directly to farmers' bank accounts. The introduction of online gate passes this season has been greatly facilitated farmers in selling their crops.
Divulging more details in this regard, a spokesperson of the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department shared that a total of 13,38,114 MT of paddy have arrived at the state's various mandis/ markets so far. Various government agencies are procuring the paddy in these markets. The procurement will continue until November 15, 2024. The agencies are purchasing paddy at the minimum support price (MSP). The MSP for common paddy is fixed at Rs. 2,300 per quintal, and for Grade-A paddy, it is Rs. 2,320 per quintal. Paddy is being purchased at 241 markets and procurement centers across the state.
Kaithal district records highest Paddy Procurement
The spokesperson shared that out of the total 7,25,158 MT of paddy purchased so far, Kaithal district has seen the highest procurement with over 2,02,885 MT. Besides this, 1,44,753 metric tons has been procured in Kurukshetra, 1,24,000 MT in Karnal, 1,06,015 MT in Ambala, 97,608 MT in Yamunanagar, and 20,025 MT in Panchkula. Similarly, procurement is ongoing in the mandis of other districts as well.
Rewari leads in Bajra Procurement
The spokesperson further informed that along with paddy, other Kharif crops are also being procured at MSP. Since October 1, bajra has been procured at the MSP in 91 markets and procurement centers across the state. So far, over 1,31,384 metric tons of bajra have been purchased.
The spokesperson informed 36,844 metric tons of Bajra has been purchased at MSP in Rewari district, which is the highest so far. However, 35,549 metric tons of Bajra has been procured in Mahendragarh, 17,556 metric tons in Gurugram, 14,156 metric tons in Jhajjar, 11,185 metric tons in Bhiwani, 9,597 metric tons in Mewat and 4,508 metric tons in Charkhi Dadri.
The spokesperson shared that the procurement process for Kharif crops is running smoothly and will continue until November 15, 2024. He said that every effort is being made to ensure that farmers do not face any issues during the procurement process. The department is fully committed to protecting farmers' economic interests and ensuring an efficient and uninterrupted procurement process throughout the season.
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