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FCI, the nodal agency for procurement and distribution of foodgrains, has sufficient stock to ensure smooth implementation of the landmark food security law, Food Minister K V Thomas said today.
After a review of Food Corporation of India, he expressed satisfaction that it has been taking steps to modernise the public distribution system and said that it has sufficient stock to meet the requirement under the new food law, recently passed by Parliament.
The law provides a legal right of 5 kg of foodgrains per person per month at Rs 1-3 per kg to country's 67 per cent population.
"In the wake of the just-enacted National Food Security Act, the Minister for Food and Public Distribution K V Thomas today reviewed the operations of FCI, especially from the point of view of its preparedness for implementing the law," an official statement said. Food Secretary Sudhir Kumar was also present.
Expressing satisfaction after the review, Thomas said the FCI had been undertaking various steps in the last one year towards increasing the storage capacity and modernisation of the facilities.
The Food Security Act poses a challenge before the Food Ministry and the FCI, Thomas said, adding:"Today's review was undertaken to ensure that we are fully prepared for implementing the law".
Besides, the statement said: "Compared to an annual requirement of 61 million tonnes of food grains to meet the requirements under the Food Security Law, FCI has a stock of 65 million tonnes of food grains in its godowns."
FCI has been constructing high-capacity godowns across the country in the last one year through government schemes as well as through public-private participation (PPP), besides modernising the storage facilities by building silos.
Under the PPP mode, the FCI has approved construction of godowns with a capacity of 20 million tonnes through Private Entrepreneurs Guarantee (PEG) scheme in various states.
Of the 20 million tonnes under PEG scheme, the FCI has already taken possession of new godowns with a capacity of 6 million tonnes while those with 4.2 million are presently under construction, the statement said.
The Minister also reviewed the manpower planning of FCI, including a new Pension Scheme, which is currently pending with the Expenditure Department of the Finance Ministry.
FCI has 25,752 employees, as against the sanctioned strength of 36,515.
The existing shortage of manpower at various levels is being filled through recruitment of about 8,500 employees for maintaining the current level of operations.
