13th June, 2002
Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution  


MOVEMENT OF FOODGRAINS TO NORTH EAST

FOUR RAKES PER DAY TO MOVE FOR ONE MONTH


Four rakes of foodgrains per day will be despatched to North Eastern region for a period of one month for augmenting the stocks in that region. An assurance to this effect was given by Shri Shanta Kumar, Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution to Shri Tarun Gogoi, Chief Minister of Assam, who called on the union minister here today. Shri Shanta Kumar took a review of the stock levels and the present rate of movement to the North-eastern region and wanted the Railways to accord top priority to the transportation of foodgrains to the region.

Earlier, at a meeting held under the chairmanship of Shri R.D. Kapur, Secretary, Food and Public Distribution, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) was instructed to maintain three months’ stocks in the north east and to fully utilise the existing storage capacity in the region. It has also been decided that new godowns will be constructed or hired as per the requirements of FCI in the region. State Governments are to identify suitable land at Dibrugarh and Silchar for construction of new godowns.

The meeting also reviewed the stocking of foodgrains in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir and urged FCI to take necessary steps to augment the storage capacity in these states.