The Government of Telangana has decided to set up a committee to look into the problems of rice millers in the State to help them grow as an industry.
The assurance was given by Minister for Finance and Civil Supplies Etela Rajender at an orientation meeting for the rice millers held here on Sunday, in which representatives of about 600 rice mills from across Telangana participated. The Minister asked them to ensure support price to paddy farmers in the wake of the Centre’s decision to reduce the levy from the existing 75 per cent to 25 per cent.
He informed the millers about the Centre’s insistence on payment of paddy price to farmers through cheques and reminded them about delivering the custom milled rice to the government before September 30 without fail. Stating that farmers should not get lesser than support price to paddy under any circumstances, he noted that rice milling industry is an instrument in ensuring it.
President of Telangana State Rice Millers Association G. Nagendra said they had placed 14 demands before the government, including payment of transport charges for the custom milled rice and levy rice, VAT reduction on sale of preferred varieties of rice from 5 p.c. to 1 p.c., removal of 1 p.c., VAT on rice husk and deduction of VAT at source by FCI and Civil Supplies Corporation for remittance to the Commercial Taxes Department.
Further, they sought exemption of boiled rice industry from the pollution control law, increase of power consumption limit from 100 HP to 150 HP, exemption of 1 p.c. market cess on sale of rice within the State and sale of levy-free rice without any permits. The Minister assured that the problems would be examined and decisions would be taken positively, wherever feasible.
Commissioner of Civil Supplies C. Parthasarathi mentioned that permits were issued simultaneously on delivery of levy in the past and millers had arranged sale of superfine varieties of rice at Rs.30 per kg in Rythu Bazaars and other designated centres.
