Odisha Food Supplies Minister Krishna Chandra Patra Meets Union Minister in New Delhi

Odisha Food Supplies & Consumer Welfare and Science & Technology Minister Shri Krishna Chandra Patra concluded a two-day visit to New Delhi, during which he held crucial discussions with senior Union Ministers and officials regarding key issues related to food procurement, rice lifting, and pending dues of the state.

Focus on Increasing Paddy Procurement Target

During his meeting with the Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, and New & Renewable Energy Shri Pralhad Joshi, Minister Patra strongly urged the Centre to enhance Odisha’s paddy procurement target. He emphasized that the state has been consistently performing well in paddy procurement and requires a higher target to accommodate increased production and support farmers.

Request for Faster Rice Lifting by FCI

A major concern highlighted by the Odisha Minister was the delay in rice lifting by the Food Corporation of India (FCI). Shri Patra requested the Union Minister to instruct FCI to take prompt measures for lifting nearly 7.5 lakh metric tonnes of rice from Odisha within the stipulated timeframe. He stressed that faster rice evacuation is essential for ensuring smooth storage management and enabling further procurement from farmers.

Demand for Release of Pending Dues

The Odisha delegation also pressed for the early release of the state’s pending food subsidy dues of nearly ₹8,000 crore related to paddy and rice procurement. Minister Patra appealed for immediate action to ensure that payments to farmers and associated agencies do not get delayed.

Assurance of Support from the Centre

In response, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi assured that all the issues raised by Odisha would be given due consideration and necessary support would be extended.

Meetings with Senior Officials

Apart from the ministerial meeting, Shri Patra also held discussions with various senior central officials, presenting Odisha’s demands across multiple sectors. Odisha’s FS & CW Principal Secretary Shri Sanjay Kumar Singh and other senior officers accompanied him during the visit.