Chandigarh, Oct 3: Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has appealed to the Union Government to expedite the evacuation of stored grain stocks from Punjab to ensure uninterrupted paddy procurement for local farmers.
In a formal communication to Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, the Chief Minister highlighted that acute storage shortages at FCI facilities have left approximately 6 LMT of pending custom-milled rice undelivered from the 2025–26 season. Officials affirmed that with peak paddy arrivals expected in mid-October, delay in stock movement risks causing severe operational backlogs for rice millers and growers alike.
The state government urged central authorities to issue immediate directives to FCI headquarters to allocate adequate railway rakes and transport logistics throughout October. State representatives declared that proactive measures are vital to maintaining administrative stability and ensuring smooth agricultural commerce across Punjab’s market yards.
