Chandigarh (PTI): The Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has urged the Central Government to give relaxation in uniform specification of rice during kharif Marketing Season, 2008-09 in respect of the State of Haryana.

In a letter addressed to Union Agriculture Minsiter Sharad Pawar, Hooda has requested the Union Government to elax specifications of rice in the interest of food security and expenditious milling of paddy procured by State agencies of Haryana so as to avoid milling losses. These relaxations should be allowed ont he same pattern as has been done in the case of the State of Punjab.

It may be recalled that in respect of Punajb, the Union Government has relaxed uniform specification from existing 3 per cent damaged/slightly damaged grains including pin-point damaged grains to 3 per cent +0.5 per cent pin-point damaged grains.