Chandigarh, Oct. 5 -- Owners of foodgrain godowns in Punjab, with a combined storage capacity of 35 lakh tonnes, have asked the state food and civil supplies department to either vacate the godowns or renew their storage agreements with a fixed deadline.

The Private Entrepreneurs Godown (PEG) Association has sent a communication to the managing director of Punjab State Grains Procurement Corporation Limited (Pungrain), stating that their grain storage agreement expired in April. While renewal tenders were invited in May, the godown owners claim the process has stalled due to the department's "red-tapism".

As an interim arrangement, the godowns continued to be used on an actual utilisation basis for six months. However, this period expir...