Rajasthan Flour Millers Demand Government Permission for Inter-State Wheat Procurement
26-Jun-2026 05:02 PM
Jaipur. The Rajasthan Roller Flour Millers Association has urged the Central Government and the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to amend the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS) policy to allow roller flour millers to procure wheat across state lines. This would enable millers to purchase wheat from FCI depots located in any state, thereby helping to boost wheat offtake.
Association President Govind Grover states that although Rajasthan is a leading wheat-producing state, it is not considered a key state for procurement for the central pool. Consequently, the state's flour millers often face numerous obstacles and challenges in sourcing wheat, finding it difficult to purchase the grain at competitive prices.
According to the President, current OMSS regulations prohibit inter-state wheat procurement, preventing millers from sourcing wheat from locations where abundant stocks are available. This creates an uneven playing field.
A key meeting of the Rajasthan Roller Flour Millers Association was held recently, during which a resolution was unanimously adopted to urge the government to consider permitting inter-state wheat procurement under the OMSS. In a memorandum sent to the FCI’s Executive Director (Sales) regarding this matter, Association President Govind Grover stated that all eligible and qualified participants (flour miller processors) should be granted permission for inter-state wheat procurement and the freedom to purchase wheat from FCI depots located anywhere in the country. This move would enhance competition and transparency.
Demand for Granting 'Procurement State' Status to Rajasthan
The association has urged the government to either permit roller flour millers to undertake inter-state wheat procurement or classify Rajasthan as a 'procurement state.' According to Govind Grover, although Rajasthan is a major wheat-producing state—with over 2.7 million tonnes (27 lakh tonnes) of wheat procured from farmers for the central pool this year—the state faces significant difficulties due to the lack of clear eligibility criteria for procurement by the Food Corporation of India (FCI). A request for information regarding this matter was submitted to the FCI's Rajasthan General Manager's office under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, but no response has been received so far.
The association has suggested that the government could save billions of rupees by formulating and implementing a rule under the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS) requiring tenders across all states to be issued solely from the state where the procurement took place; this matter warrants special attention.
The association's president emphasized that Rajasthan is the fourth-largest contributor of wheat to the central pool—following Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, and Haryana—and therefore deserves either statutory 'procurement state' status or permission for inter-state bidding. Furthermore, OMSS tenders should also be issued exclusively from the procurement state.
In another significant proposal, the association recommended exempting flour millers across the country from *mandi* (market) fees when purchasing wheat in a procurement state. This measure would enable all buyers to build up stocks and relieve them from the burden of repeated procurement cycles.