To meet the possible shortage of gunny bags for paddy procurement by State Government, permission has been given to purchase paddy through PDS gunny bags. For reimbursement of additional gunny bags, permission has been granted to allot and distribute food grains for the month of February 2021, in January itself.

 

Accordingly, instructions have been given to the Food Controllers and Food Officers of all districts in State to make available PDS gunny bags for paddy procurement. Chhattisgarh Marketing Federation (MARKFED) has issued an order in this direction and all District Marketing Officers have been issued guidelines regarding use of gunny bags for paddy procurement in the Kharif marketing year 2020-21. As per the order, keeping in view the limited supply of new jute gunny bags from the Government of India for the purchase of paddy in State, permission has been given to purchase paddy in the old jute gunny bags of the farmers.

 

Upon reviewing the gunny bags used in the paddy procurement so far, it has been found that despite the availability of miller, HDPE, PP and other gunny bags in the committees, paddy is being procured through gunny bags brought by farmers. All available gunny bags should be used 100 per cent in the next week’s paddy purchase. There should not be any remaining new HDPE, PP gunny bags in the committees and godowns in the upcoming weekend. The order also states that if the miller and HDPE, PP gunny bags available for paddy procurement with all committees are not used then the remaining gunny bags will not be returned to them and the amount of the remaining gunny bags will be deducted from the respective committees. Instructions have also been given to make proposals regarding payment of old jute gunny bags made available by the farmers so far, so that farmers can be paid at the prescribed rate without any delay.