Likely to be built over the next 18-24 months.
Food Corporation of India (FCI), the government-owned foodgrain procurement agency, has sanctioned 16.4 million tonnes new storage capacity in various states to meet the shortage of warehousing space. These are likely to be built over the next 18-24 months.
“We require 15 million tonnes storage space and have sanctioned 16.4 mt,” said Chairman Siraj Hussain. FCI has also tied up with various state warehousing corporations and the Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) and appointed them nodal agencies for inviting the tenders.
“Based on certain guidelines set by the government of India for assessing the storage requirement in various states, the high-level committee of FCI has sanctioned storage capacity across various states. A nodal agency has been appointed in each state to invite the tenders,” he said.
In Punjab, the capacity sanctioned is about 5.1 mt. The government of Punjab has nominated Pungrain as the nodal agency. It opened the tenders on July 29. For Haryana, FCI has sanctioned 3.9 mt. The state government decided to invite tenders under the revised 10-year guarantee scheme. It got offers for 12 mt, said Husain.
In Tamil Nadu, the sanction is for 120,000 tonnes, in Jharkhand for 170,000 tonnes and in Bihar for 300,000 tonnes. The process is on. CWC, as a nodal agency, will invite tenders for the sanctioned storage of 350,000 tonnes in Gujarat. It has also been authorised to invite tenders for 636,000 tonnes in Karnataka.
In Maharashtra, tenders for 815,000 tonnes capacity will be invited jointly by CWC and the Maharashtra State Warehousing Corporation. CWC will handle 200,000 tonnes.
The West Bengal Essential Commodities Corporation will invite tenders for 156,000 tonnes. In Rajasthan, the sanction is for 260,000 tonnes, with tenders being invited by the Rajasthan State Warehousing Corporation. Tenders have also been invited for 295,000 tonnes in Madhya Pradesh by an agency of the state government.
