Chief Minister Extends Deadline for Rice Millers’ Enhanced Capacity Registration Amidst Ongoing Flood Situation

Chandigarh, August25

Responding to appeals from various Rice Millers’ Associations, Punjab’s Chief Minister, S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, announced today a 24-hour extension window for online registration of enhanced tonnage capacity. The move comes in the larger interest of the public and aims to accommodate millers who are seeking final registration of their increased capacity within the state’s Department of Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs for the upcoming Kharif Marketing Season 2023-24.

In addition to this extension, Chief Minister Mann has also given his approval to postpone the deadline for mill inspections by field staff. The initial date of August 28, 2023, has been pushed to September 1, 2023.

These decisions have been strategically taken to offer a fair opportunity to millers who might have been delayed due to the ongoing flood situation in the state. The extension will enable them to finalize their newly established rice units effectively. Interested rice millers can access the Department’s Anaaj Kharid portal from 9 pm on August 25, 2023, until midnight on August 26, 2023.

A spokesperson from the Chief Minister’s Office emphasized that the original deadline for applying for registration of enhanced milling capacity was August 21, 2023. However, an additional day has been granted for those millers striving for final registration of their increased capacity. It was further clarified that there won’t be any subsequent extensions for other important dates, including the Stage 2 Allotment, signing of Agreements, and the deposit of Bank Guarantee. This decision has been taken to ensure the seamless achievement of the overall objective, encompassing online registration, verification, and the linkage of mills with procurement centers.

It’s noteworthy that Rice Millers are eligible to apply for an increase in their milling capacity provided they adhere to the norms set out in the Custom Milling Policy of the Department.

The upcoming paddy procurement season for 2023-24 is slated to kick off on October 1, 2023. During this period, the State Procurement Agencies and FCI are anticipated to procure approximately 182 Lac Metric Tonnes (LMT) of paddy. The allocated paddy from farmers will be distributed for Custom Milling to eligible rice millers in accordance with the stipulations of the Custom Milling Policy for the Kharif Marketing Season 2023-24.