Chandigarh, Nov. 12 -- Nearly a month after experts from the Centre took samples of damaged and discoloured paddy harvested in the current kharif marketing season, the Union ministry of food and public distribution on Tuesday allowed relaxation in procurement norms by allowing purchase of produce with up to 10% discoloured and damaged grain, from 5%. The move by the Centre, which has come after repeated reminders by the state government, has no meaning particularly for peasantry when they have already incurred loss of Rs.50 to Rs.500 per quintal, according to paddy growers, arhtiyas and state food officials. The majority of the crop - 150 lakh tonnes - has already been procured till date and just about 10 lakh tonne more is expected to arrive for procurement in the state's mandis. "Based on the analysis of paddy samples collected by the joint team between October 13 and 17, the relaxation in uniform paddy specifications allows an increase in the limit for discoloured, damaged, sprouted and weevilled grains to up to 10%, compared to the existing limit of 5% subject to the condition that the damaged, sprouted and weevilled grains do not exceed 4%," reads a demi official letter received by state's food and civil supplies department, the nodal agency for food grains procurement in the state. According to Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) president Balbir Singh Rajewal, the relaxation is of no use now when farmers have already suffered heavy losses. "The paddy crop has suffered severe damages due to floods and incessant rainfall in the month of August and September. Crop over 3 lakh acres was completely damaged. In the rest of the state, there is a fall in the yield and the grain quality has also suffered, he said. The Centre made it cleart that there will be no relaxation in the uniform specification of custom milled rice (CMR) out of paddy procured under relaxed specifications and no relaxation will be allowed in the Out Turn Ratio (OTR). "The relaxation by the central government is surprising and contradictory. On one hand, the government has relaxed the paddy procurement norms allowing up to 10% damage, discolouration and immature grains but denied any exemption for rice mills," said Ranjit Singh Jossan, vice president of the rice millers' association....