The rights of State Rice Millers and Commission agents will be fully protected-Ashu
Shaurya Sharma
Fatehgarh Sahib. January 24, 2020 : The state Government is fully aware of the space problem being faced by the State Rice Millers and has made various representations to Union Government to clear the stock lying in State Godowns, so that the space could be used to store the milled Rice, but unfortunately the response of the Union Government is luke warm. The State Government will protect their interests and provide space to rice millers in rational manner, if any rice miller suffered loss due to non availability of space Government will compensate. Approximately 30% of the Rice has been milled in the State and Government will ensure that Rice is milled and delivered in time, said Bharat Bhushan Ashu Minister for Food and Civil Supply while talking to media persons here today.
Answering a query about non payment of Commission to Commission agents, he said that the commission to the tune of Rs.325 Crore out of Rs.700 Crore has been cleared. He said that at the beginning of the season it was decided in the meeting with Commission agents that they will get the commission only after the compliance of Public Finance Management System (PFMS) all those who have followed their commission has been released. He said it is unfortunate that certain Commission agents with their vested political interests are misleading the commission agents not to follow PFMS. He said that PFMS compulsion is due to the policy of Union Government not of the State Government even during the last season the Union Government stopped the payment made by State Government as Commission charges to commission agents from its own and released the amount after getting commitment in this regard. He said that due to APMC Act of the State Government the Commission agents are protected, otherwise except Punjab and Haryana there is no commission agent system in the country. He said CM has made it clear to Commission agents that their rights will be fully protected, but certain commission agents aligned with SAD (B) are raising hue and cry and misleading others.
To fulfil the distribution of tea and sugar as promised, he said that Government is fully ready with the plan to supply tea and sugar at subsidies rates and the file has been sent to finance department as soon as it is cleared the process will start. He said everyone knows how the previous Badal Government left debt of Rs.2 Lakh Crore on State Government but inspite of that Capt. waived loans of farmers to the tune of Rs.600 Crore, paid regular increased pensions, shortly smart phones are being given and followed by Sugar and tea