BJP Punjab president Sunil Jakhar and national general secretary Tarun Chugh led a delegation of Punjab’s sheller, arhtiya, and flour mill associations to meet Union Food Supply Minister Pralhad Joshi today. BJP Punjab general secretary Dayal Singh Sodhi and state cell in-charge Ranjam Kamra were also present.During the meeting, the delegation urged the minister to resolve the demands of these organisations at the earliest. Jakhar said the Union Minister heard all the demands sympathetically and assured that they would be resolved soon. He stated that these stakeholders play an important role in Punjab’s agricultural sector and economy, and some issues need to be resolved by the Punjab Government.Jakhar said the state government’s policy regarding fortified rice has caused distress to sheller owners. “During the kharif marketing season 2025-26, Punjab rice millers are required to deliver approximately 105 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of rice to Food Corporation of India (FCI) for distribution under the central pool. Out of this, around 85 LMT is to be supplied as fortified rice, which requires Fortified Rice Kernels (FRK),” he said.The state government issues tenders for empanelment of FRK manufacturers and procures FRK from them to provide to rice millers for blending with rice for fortification. Jakhar said widespread dissatisfaction, concern, and anger prevail among more than 5,000 rice millers because they are not receiving FRK on time, preventing them from supplying rice on schedule. In the coming hot months, paddy stored since October 2025 may become difficult to convert into good-quality rice, leading to potential financial losses.The delegation demanded that since the Central Government has sufficient fortified rice stocks to meet distribution needs for the next two years, Punjab should be allocated at least 20-25 LMT CMR quota, including 25 per cent broken rice, to reduce pressure on FRK supply. They also demanded: Department of Food and Public Distribution should direct expedited FRK testing in its laboratories to make FRK available on time, and additional staff should be deployed if necessary; Regular monitoring of rice movement out of Punjab should ensure speedy lifting and create adequate space for fresh deliveries; A permanent mechanism should announce rational fixation of FRK procurement rates to avoid such situations in the future; Automatic Grain Analyzer (AGA) machines should implement at all FCI depots to ensure grain quality, reduce human intervention, and curb corruption; Labour and transportation charges for rice, as the Centre provides, should ensure payment to the mills.Regarding the arhtiya associations’ demands, more than 50,000 arhtiyas play a crucial role in the state’s marketing infrastructure. However, fixing their commission has created difficulties, especially as inflation and other expenses rise. The delegation demanded restoring the 2.5 per cent commission.They also demanded early release of Rs 50 crore withheld by FCI for EPF and clearance of pending commission dues for 2023-24. The flour mill association shared its concerns with the Union Minister. The minister accepted the invitation of its president and assured a visit to Punjab soon.