Patna: The Bihar government is reportedly weighing a major financial relief for Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS), with plans to extend interest-free credit for six months, up from the current two-month period, to ease the burden of paddy procurement.
The decision emerged from a Wednesday meeting between the Food and Consumer Protection Department and the Cooperative Department, which also discussed the inspection of rice mills’ milling capacities and the processing of pending payments to PACS.
Food and Consumer Protection Minister Leshi Singh assured representatives that the department would consider the proposal positively. She instructed officials to address the issues raised by PACS promptly, aiming to reduce financial pressure on the cooperative societies.
At the meeting, PACS also requested inspections of rice mills to verify actual milling capacities and demanded timely processing of pending dues. Minister Singh emphasised that any delay in payment was unacceptable and urged officials to ensure all pending payments were cleared within the stipulated period.
Cooperation Minister Dr Pramod Kumar, Principal Secretary of the Food and Consumer Protection Department Pankaj Kumar, and Cooperative Secretary Dharmendra Singh, among other officials, attended the meeting. Ramendra Kumar, General Manager (Procurement) of the Bihar State Food and Civil Supplies Corporation, provided updates on the current paddy procurement, the quality of rice, and the process of fortifying ordinary rice.
