Centre Introduces Mobile App To Address Rice Millers’ Grievances

Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Pralhad Joshi, introduced the grievance redressal portal of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) for rice millers on Monday. This new portal aims to enhance transparency and accountability in addressing the concerns of rice millers.

Introducing the app, Minister Joshi stated that establishing an effective grievance redressal mechanism is a top priority. The app allows rice millers to register their grievances directly. Once a complaint is lodged, a three-member team will be dispatched to investigate within three days, engaging with the millers and recommending a resolution within the same period. If rice millers remain unsatisfied, their grievances will be escalated to higher officials for further review.

"All grievances will be addressed in a transparent manner with a swift, time-bound resolution process, targeted within seven days. The field response team will be on-site within three days to ensure prompt action," Joshi emphasised.

The Minister noted that in every cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inquires about the grievance redressal mechanisms in place and has instructed the ministry to prioritise grievance redressal for both farmers and millers. "The Prime Minister also guides us on how to make the grievance redressal process more farmer- and consumer-friendly," Joshi said.

He reaffirmed the government's support for farmers, stating that rice procurement will proceed as committed. "As of yesterday, our rice lifting reached approximately 4.5 lakh metric tonne, and today we are on track to cross 5 lakh metric tonne," the union minister said. During the event, Sanjiv Chopra, Secretary of the Department of Food and Public Distribution, highlighted that FCI procures around 550 lakh metric tonne of rice annually.

To streamline responses on the app, a nodal officer or quick-response team will be randomly assigned to each case, conducting on-ground inquiries. The app will also employ geofencing technology to track the mobile teams. In cases where millers remain dissatisfied, senior officials will be brought in to address the issue further. (ANI)