Odisha Pleas to Extend CMR Cut-off Date

Unable to meet the June 30 deadline for delivery of custom milled rice (CMR) for 2014-15 kharif marketing season (KMS) to the Central pool, the State Government has once again requested the Centre to extend the cut-off date to December 31, 2015.

The State Government has procured 52.45 lakh tonnes of paddy (rice equivalent of 35.47 lakh tonnes) till June 30 and delivered 12.52 lakh tonnes to Food Corporation of India (FCI) by end of July.

The State is supposed to deliver 16.47 lakh tonnes of rice to the Central pool by keeping a stock of 19 lakh tonnes, the annual allotment fixed by the Centre for delivery under public distribution system. As the State Government is consistently failing to deliver its CMR quota to FCI since 2010-11, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution had instructed the regional office of FCI in February to delete the rice stocks received from the State Government after the extended cut-off date of December 31, 2014 for the 2013-14 KMS. In case of rice stock deletion from the Central pool, the State Government will have to bear the entire cost of CMR delivered under public distribution system.

Chief Shri.Minister Naveen Patnaik had to seek intervention of Prime Minister Shri.Narendra Modi to revise the Central Government order of deleting rice stocks received by FCI after the cut-off date as the State Government could not bear the cost.

However, the Centre is yet to issue suitable instruction to the FCI despite repeated reminders by the State Government.

The State Government has already explained to the Centre about the low milling capacity and storage space constraint. Lack of storage space is resulting in late receipt of CMR from the registered millers.  The State Government has further explained that the evacuation of rice from major paddy producing districts in Western Odisha is very sluggish due to non-availability of rakes.

According to the report furnished by the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Department to the Centre, over 16.70 lakh quintals of paddy are with millers. This will take time for milling because of their low capacity.