Food Ministry wants to limit grain procurement to the needs of PDS

More than 6.6 million tonnes of wheat meant for the public distribution system, is lying in the open, running the risk of damage from rain, Minister of State for Food and Public Distribution K.V. Thomas admitted here on Thursday. Faced with a problem of plenty, the Food Ministry wants to limit grain procurement to the needs of the public distribution system. It also wants Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh to include construction of medium-capacity godowns in the national rural employment guarantee scheme to augment the grains storage capacity.

The food ministry on Thursday assured the nation all efforts were being made to ensure foodgrains were not damaged because of improper storage. This, despite the fact that due to poor storage facilities, 6.61 million tonnes remain vulnerable to the vagaries of the impending southwest monsoon.

“I can assure all the best efforts are being made to ensure no grain is damaged in the monsoon,” Food Minister K V Thomas told reporters. He added of the total foodgrain stock in central pool, estimated at about 82 million tones, about 87 per cent was in safe storage facilities.

The State Government has decided to extend public distribution system (PDS) doles to over 5,000 families of traditional marine fishermen living along the Paradip coast.

LUCKNOW: With reports of wheat stocks rotting across the country, the state government on Sunday said it would put in place stringent measures to ensure no foodgrain was wasted.

A firm decision will improve the health of OMCs, government finances and rural citizens who use kerosene

New Delhi: Highlighting irregularities and delays in the issuing of BPL and ration cards, the CAG report has slammmed the food and supplies department for its functioning.

From identification of fewer than targeted families to not lifting adequate ration supplies from godowns to non-submission of utilisation certificates, the report of the Comptroller and Auditor Gen

The Annual Plan for the year 2012-13 for Chhattisgarh was finalised here on Thursday at a meeting between Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Chief Minister Raman Singh.

In a major shift in policy, the Centre now plans to confine food entitlement only to below poverty Line (BPL) households and completely exclude the existing category of the above poverty line families.

This is one of the significant changes proposed in the National Food Security Bill which is currently being considered by the Parliamentary Standing Committee.

States appear lukewarm to bail out the Centre grappling with the “problem of plenty”, as there is no response to the food ministry’s proposal for advance lifting of foodgrains.