HYDERABAD: Shortage of Food Corporation of India godowns for rice-millers could result in possible financial losses to the state civil supplies department. Officials of the department and FCI met on Tuesday to resolve the storage crisis but could not address it.
Rice-millers, mostly from Peddapalli, Jagityal, Karimnagar, Nizamabad and Nalgonda districts, are unable to stock their custom-milled rice (CMR) at FCI godowns.The space shortage has forced the millers to store the rice on lorries outside the FCI godowns. With monsoon in full swing, millers fear losses. They have requested the department to push the surrender date from August 31 to September 30.
Meanwhile, CSD officials say the delay by rice-millers to surrender rice on time could cause financial loss to the department.The Rabi season this year saw the department purchase 37.15 lakh tonnes of paddy from farmers, which was handed over to millers for milling. This is the largest quantity the department has procured from farmers, claim officials.