JEYPORE: Millers of Koraput district have demanded extension of the deadline for delivering custom milled rice of the last kharif season. As per reports, 50 per cent of the millers have not met their target till November 15, the deadline set by the State Government.The Civil Supply Corporation had procured about 21 lakh quintals of paddy in the last kharif season through PACs and distributed those among 93 millers of the district for custom milling.
The millers were given a target to deliver about 16 lakh quintals of rice to the Civil Supply Corporation by November 15. However, about 14.5 quintals of custom milled rice was delivered by the deadline and only 47 millers achieved the target. The remaining 46 millers are yet to achieve their rice delivery target and about 1.5 lakh quintals of rice stock is pending with them, sources said.
For quite some time now, Koraput millers are complaining about shortage of godowns and harassment by the officials concerned for which rice delivery process is slow in the district. They said rice receiving centres in Jeypore, Koraput and Dumuriput are packed to the full for which they are unable to deliver rice on time.
Meanwhile, representatives of Koraput Millers’ Association also discussed the issue with State Civil Supply and Consumer Welfare Secretary VV Yadav and urged him to extend the delivery date to December-end as they are facing storage crunch. The Secretary reportedly assured the millers of looking into their problem.
Association secretary Gopal Panda said the millers are facing difficulties in delivery of rice without any fault of their own. The delay has happened due to absence of proper storage facilities of the Civil Supply Corporation, he added.