Reeling under losses amid the ongoing lockdown following COVID-19 outbreak, the Rice Millers Exporters Association, Amritsar has asked the Centre and the Punjab government to come for its rescue so that the agro-processing industry can be revived.
While assuring the government of its support to overcome the bleak economic scenario presently gripping the nation, the association has urged the State government to immediate release pending refunds of market fee and rural development fund (RDF) to rice miller and exporters, which is around ₹100 crore, in a bid to tide over sector's financial crunch.
In a letter to Additional Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan, association’s director Ashok Sethi has also requested the government to completely waive off the charging of market fee and RDF for at least for one year on Basmati rice.
Mr. Sethi said at present the industry is estimated to have a stock of rice-paddy worth ₹9,000 crore and hence there’s an immediate need for relaxation on interest rate by banks. “Relief on bank interest is urgently required for at least six months,” he said.
He added that the Central government had been giving the exporters under MSME an interest subvention on bank export limits but it was withdrawn in April this year. “It should be immediately restored ,” he said.
