Food Corporation
of India had played a commendable role in the multifarious activities
of procurement, maintenance, transportation and distribution
of foodgrains in the country, said Shri Sharad Yadav, Minister
of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. Inaugurating
"Khadyapurna Sadan," the North Zonal Corporate office of Food
Corporation of India at Noida today, the minister said that
the Corporation is the link between the Government and the farmer
for providing them with the Minimum Support Price to their produce.
About 98.98 per cent of the total procurement of wheat and 44.52
per cent of rice is being handled by the north zone of FCI,
the Minister said. The zone also has 60 per cent of the total
storage capacity of FCI in the country. India is in a comfortable
position as far as the foodgrains stock is concerned as is now
exporting close to 3 million tonnes of wheat to 24 countries
and nearly 6 million tonnes of rice to 35 countries, the Minister
said.
Shri Yadav pointed
out that during the coming Rabi marketing season 2003-04, the
procurement will be about 200 lakh tonnes. The Government has
distributed over 50 lakh tonnes of foodgrains to the drought
affected states free of cost during the current financial year.
Welcoming the proposal included in the Budget for 2003-04 to
include 50 lakh more families in Antyodaya Anna Yojana scheme,
the Minister said this would ensure better food security to
the poorest of the poor.
Speaking on the
occasion Shri Ashok Pradhan, Minister of State for Human Resource
Development, expressed satisfaction that the Union Budget has
provided a sum of Rs.27,000 crore as food subsidy. The function
was attended by Shri A.M.Gokhle, Chairman, FCI and senior officials
from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.
