JD-U expresses concern over low food storage capacity

"We need a coordinated approach to deal with food procurement and storage problems," JD-U leader and NDA convenor Sharad Yadav said in the Lok Sabha.

He was initiating a short-duration discussion on situation arising out of faulty policy of procurement and inadequate facilities for storage of food grains.

Yadav also cautioned that government's food subsidy bill would increase significantly unless steps were taken to distribute surplus grains among the needy.

He said while food grains are lying on roads and rotting in open because of lack of storage facility, people in several other places are facing shortage.

The government, he suggested, should come out with a policy to distribute surplus food grains in drought-hit areas.

Yadav said that because of bumper food production, the buffer was likely to go up to 75 million tonnes as against the requirement of 31.9 million tonnes.

He regretted that faulty policies of the government had led to destruction of the traditional method of storage of food grains in the rural India.

Pointing out that the market-oriented policies have flopped all over the world, Yadav said the government should focus on real strength of the country, which was represented by the rural India.

The discussion remained inconclusive.