New Delhi, March 26, 2025: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has sought the intervention of Union Minister Prahlad Joshi to expedite wheat and rice transportation from Punjab, ensuring smooth procurement and storage ahead of the Rabi Marketing Season (RMS) 2025-26.
Punjab expects to procure 124 LMT of wheat, but with 5 LMT from the previous season still stored, the total storage requirement has risen to 129 LMT. The lack of storage space, as covered warehouses remain occupied with rice stocks, is a major challenge. Mann requested the movement of at least 25 LMT of wheat via special trains and urged the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to increase rice transportation, as 71.50 LMT of rice is yet to be moved, while only 7.50 LMT of storage space is available.
Arthia Commission Concerns
Mann raised concerns over the reduction in Arthia Commission for wheat procurement at silos, emphasizing that Arthias perform the same role in silos as in mandis. He urged that their commission be equalized to promote direct purchases at silos, reducing overall mandi labor and transport costs.
He also flagged the restriction on Arthia Commission rates, which have remained unchanged since 2020-21 at ₹46/qtl for wheat and ₹45.88/qtl for paddy, despite the official Punjab Agricultural Produce Marketing Act rate of 2.5% of MSP. For RMS 2025-26, this should be ₹60.63/qtl, but the Centre has not finalized reimbursement rates, leading to arthia strikes during Kharif Marketing Season 2024-25. Mann warned that failure to resolve this issue could disrupt wheat procurement.
Demand for RDF Release
The CM also demanded the immediate release of Punjab’s pending RDF (Rural Development Fund), stressing that Punjab has fulfilled all formalities and that states should not face delays in receiving their rightful funds.
In response, Union Minister Prahlad Joshi assured Mann that the Centre would review Punjab’s demands sympathetically.
