With Punjab facing a severe shortage of storage space ahead of the new paddy procurement season, the state cabinet, chaired by chief minister Bhagwant Mann, on Friday approved the Punjab Custom Milling Policy for the 2026-27 season allowing rice millers to receive fresh paddy even if they are yet to complete delivery of rice milled from the previous crop.
The move aims for smooth procurement ahead of the next year’s assembly election, and government wants to ensure a smooth procurement season for farmers. The storage crunch has created a peculiar situation for the government. state agencies are struggling to accept fresh stocks as their godowns and plinth storage facilities are already full While rice millers are ready to hand over milled rice. This forced the state to amend the policy. The slow lifting of rice by the Union government for transportation to consuming states has compounded the problem, leaving the state with limited space to accommodate rice that will be generated from the upcoming paddy crop. Pertinently, CM Mann had recently met Union minister for consumer affairs, food and public distribution Pralhad Joshi and sought expeditious lifting of rice from Punjab’s granaries to create space ahead of the new procurement season. The hospital was upgraded from a community health centre.
As per officials Punjab’s entire 280 LMT foodgrain storage capacity is currently occupied. The Centre had assured the state that 18 LMT of rice would be lifted by September 20, but the state government has said the promised lifting has not taken place. Apart from the Custom Milling Policy, the Cabinet also approved the Punjab Foodgrains Transport Policy, 2026, and the Punjab Foodgrains Labour and Cartage Policy, 2026, aimed at ensuring smooth and uninterrupted procurement operations during the coming season. The cabinet approved amendments in the Punjab Public Service Commission (Group ‘A’) Service Regulations, 2012, paving the way for the addition of a provision for promotion from personal assistant to personal secretary. The cabinet approved the revival of 33 newly created posts at the sub-divisional hospital, Chamkaur Sahib.
