Allocation and Storage of Food grains

In view of reports of damages to Central Pool stocks of foodgrains in some godowns of FCI and State agencies during last year,the Government has taken a number of steps. During the current year 2011-12 besides allocating a quantity of 488.71 lakh tons of foodgrains (which includes 50 lakh tons additional APL allocation) under Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), an ad hoc additional allocation of 50 lakh tons of rice and wheat has been made to States/UTs in May, 2011 at BPL issue prices for distribution to BPL families upto March, 2012. Further, in pursuance to the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s direction, in its order dated 14.5.2011 to allocate additional quantity of foodgrains to the 150 poorest districts in the country for distribution to extremely poor and vulnerable sections of the society, the government has allocated 3,87,670.65 tons of foodgrains at BPL /AAY issue prices for three months for poor families identified in 74 districts of 13 States as per recommendations of Central Vigilance Committee on PDS set-up by the Hon’ble Supreme Court. 

The minister said that in order to create additional covered storage space, Government has formulated a scheme for construction of godowns through private entrepreneurs under Private Public Partnership mode with a view to reduce dependence on CAP (Open Storage) by construction of covered godowns both in procurement as well as consumption areas. A capacity of about 152.97 lakh tons has been planned for 19 States under the Scheme through private entrepreneurs and Central and State Warehousing Corporations.

There is a proposal for construction of additional storage capacity of 5.4 lakh tons in the North Eastern States by Food Corporation of India (FCI) with a total allocation of Rs. 568.17 crores..