One million tonne of non-basmati rice export, which was allowed by the Commerce Ministry, has been put on hold following a direction from the Delhi High Court, the government today said.
Operation and implementation of the allocation made in terms of Trade Notice of July 27 is stayed in view of the order passed by the High Court...," Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said.
The government had allowed one million tonne of non-basmati rice exports in the wake of improvement in the domestic supply and stable prices of the grain. Export of the rice had been prohibited since April 2008.
However, as situation improved this year, the group of ministers had decided to open exports subject to a ceiling of one million tonne. DGFT on July 19 notified the government's decision to allow exports and has made allocations of the entire quota to 82 exporters on July 27.
But the process was contested in the Delhi High Court which directed the government "that no allotment shall be made till the next date of hearing".
While the court had stayed the allocation, by the time the order to this effect reached DGFT, the process of allotment had already been completed. While the DGFT has sought opinion of the Law Ministry in this regard, it had to stay the operation and implementation of the allotment.