Odisha: Piyush Goyal assures BJD MPs of early solution to pending subsidy, rice procurement issues

The Biju Janta Dal MPs delegation on Thursday held talks with Union Minister Piyush Goyal on parboiled rice procurement and pending subsidy issue, said BJD in a statement while adding that Goyal has assured all support and early solution.

Led by BJD Parliamentary Party leader in Lok Sabha Pinaki Misra, the delegation discussed with Goyal about the pending subsidy claims of Rs 6,039 crores payable to Odisha from the central government.

Goyal assured that the pending subsidy claims would be transferred at the earliest and advised his senior officers present in the meeting to take early steps in this regard.

The BJD MP delegation further apprised Goyal about the recent letter by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) limiting the delivery of parboiled rice from Odisha and stopping it entirely for the Rabi season.

The delegation placed facts as to how about 30 lakh metric tons of rice worth about Rs 7,350 crores would be saddled on Odisha if the rice is not evacuated by the FCI.

The Minister also assured that there would not be any immediate stoppage of procurement of rice from Odisha despite the FCI letter that was sent to the Odisha government in early January. For the Rabi season, there would be a consultation meeting in mid-February, 2020 between the FCI and the Odisha government officials to work out solutions to ameliorate this situation.

( With inputs from ANI )