CHANDIGARH: Amid a severe shortage of storage space, Punjab is staring at a major challenge in the procurement of paddy this season, as the entire 280 LMT foodgrain storage capacity is full and the slow lifting of rice by the Union Government continues.
The state Cabinet approved the Custom Milling Policy for 2026-27, allowing rice millers who have delivered up to 90 per cent of the rice from the paddy allotted to them in 2025-26 to be eligible to receive fresh paddy for milling, even if they have not completed delivery of rice from the previous crop.
This move is significant as less than six months are left for the 2027 Assembly elections and the AAP-led government wants to make sure of a hassle-free procurement season for farmers.
Sources in the Food and Civil Supplies Department said that the state’s entire 280 LMT foodgrain storage capacity is full, and due to the slow lifting of rice by the Union Government from Punjab for movement to other consuming states, the problem has been further aggravated, leaving little space for the rice that will be generated from the upcoming paddy crop.
A target to procure around 180 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of paddy was assigned to the state during the forthcoming procurement season, out of the total paddy production of 185 LMT. However, the state is already facing an acute storage crisis, with all available covered and plinth storage capacity occupied by grain from previous years.
Thus, under the new policy cleared by the Cabinet today, millers who have delivered up to 90 per cent of the rice from the paddy allotted to them in 2025-26 will be eligible to receive fresh paddy for milling. The concession is aimed at ensuring that milling operations are not disrupted when procurement of the new crop begins later this month.
The Cabinet’s decision to relax the eligibility conditions for the allotment of fresh paddy is aimed at preventing the storage crisis from disrupting the procurement and milling cycle.
Normally, millers are required to complete the delivery of rice by March 31 following the procurement season. However, the deadline for delivery of rice from the previous season has already been extended till October 31 this year, reflecting the extent of the storage bottleneck.
Recently, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann met Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi and urged him to expedite the lifting of rice from Punjab’s granaries to create storage space ahead of the new procurement season. The Centre had assured that 18 LMT of rice would be lifted by September 20, which the state government says has not been done.
Besides the Custom Milling Policy, the Cabinet also approved the Punjab Foodgrain Transport Policy, 2026, and the Punjab Foodgrain Labour and Cartage Policy, 2026, with the stated objective of ensuring smooth and uninterrupted procurement operations.
After the Cabinet meeting, talking to the media, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said that in order to ensure smooth and hassle-free paddy procurement during the ensuing KMS 2026-27, the Cabinet gave its concurrence to the Punjab Custom Milling Policy for Kharif 2026-27, the Punjab Foodgrains Transportation Policy 2027 and the Punjab Foodgrains Labour and Cartage Policy 2027. The three policies had been approved to facilitate the procurement and movement of foodgrain during the coming season.
“The Cabinet reiterated the firm commitment of the state government to lift every single grain of the farmers during the upcoming season. It also authorised Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to amend any provisions of the policies, keeping in view administrative exigencies that may arise during the ensuing paddy season,” he added.
The Cabinet also gave its consent for filling up 80 vacant posts of Medical Officer (Dental) in the Department of Health and Family Welfare. Of these, 53 posts have been lying vacant for more than a year, while 27 posts have been lying vacant for less than a year.
It also approved the creation of 19 new posts of various cadres for the Office of the Civil Surgeon, Malerkotla, so that official work can be carried out efficiently and healthcare facilities can be provided to residents of the district.
In another decision, the Cabinet approved the creation of 119 new posts of various cadres at the Sub-Divisional Hospital, Dhuri and the newly constructed MCH Centre thereat, with the objective of providing comprehensive and more advanced healthcare facilities to the public.
In order to provide better and higher-level health services to the people of Chamkaur Sahib and its adjoining areas, the Cabinet approved the revival of 33 newly created posts at the Sub-Divisional Hospital, Chamkaur Sahib. The Sub-Divisional Hospital was upgraded from a Community Health Centre. The posts include those of Medical Officer (Medicine), Medical Officer (Orthopaedics), Medical Officer (Anaesthesia), Medical Officer (Pathology), Medical Officer (Ophthalmology), Medical Officer (Radiology), MBBS General, Nursing Sister, Senior Assistant/Accountant, Staff Nurse, OTA, Driver and Clerk, among others.