BHUBANESWAR: Food Corporation of India (FCI), Odisha region will offload 31,000 tonnes of wheat and rice to registered bulk buyers, flour millers and other wheat and rice product units to moderate the soaring market prices of the foodgrains.
FCI has earmarked 21,000 tonnes of wheat and 10,000 rice for e-auction under the open market sale scheme (OMSS) at a predetermined price. The auction will be conducted through 18 centres of FCI in the state. Only buyers, traders, and rice and flour mills empanelled with FCI will be eligible to participate in the ongoing e-auction process for which tenders were floated on Friday.
Traders desirous of purchasing a minimum of 10 tonnes to a maximum of 100-tonne wheat from designated FCI depots under OMSS (Domestic) will have to deposit the required earnest money deposit (EMD) by Tuesday to become eligible to participate in the auction, said an FCI official.
FCI has kept the base price of wheat at Rs 2,150 per quintal for fair average quality (FAQ) and Rs 2,125 per quintal under relaxed specification (URS) while the price of rice is Rs 31,00 per quintal. A local trader interested in participating in the e-auction for the purchase of wheat under OMSS told The New Indian Express that the online portal of FCI is not showing the number of stocks available in the 18 designated depots of the central agency.
“Apart from the state government, the FCI should coordinate with other stakeholders to ensure effective implementation and monitoring of OMSS and address any grievances or complaints arising from it. The FCI should also ensure transparency and accountability in its operations under OMSS,” said a flour mill owner of the Khurda district.
However, FCI sources said the stock issue has been resolved after complaints were received from various sources. There was some problem with the online platform which has been taken care of. In order to redress the grievances of stakeholders, an open link for video conferencing on FCI’s website has been created which is active from 11 am to 12 noon daily during working days from June 30, 2023. Stakeholders including the general public having any complaint relating to FCI may join the video conferencing, sources added.