FCI to meet mandate under NFSA in 4 NE States: Paswan

GUWAHATI, Feb 27: Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan highlighted on Food Corporation of India’s preparedness to meet its mandate under the tiol Food Security Act 2013 (NFSA) regime in four North Eastern States of Assam, Aruchal Pradesh, Manipur and Mizoram along with the status of implementation of NFSA in these States in a review meeting here on Tuesday. Rihon Daimary, State Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, was also present at the meeting.

The highlight of the review meeting was to ensure food grain availability under NFSA in the four States of Assam, Aruchal Pradesh, Manipur, and Mizoram, for which Food Corporation of India had increased its storage capacity in the NE Zone from 4.90 litre metric tonnes during March, 2015 to 5.l2 litre metric tonnes as on January, 2018. In addition to this, capacity enhancement has been done to 25,000 metric tonnes under Private Entrepreneurs Guarantee scheme at Sorbhog which will be brought under utilization soon.

The minister said that in order to add on to the stocks being moved by rail Ex-North India, to optimally utilize its storage capacities and ensure remunerative prices to the farmers of the region, FCI has been constantly augmenting its procurement operations. He also added that a quantity of 67,400 MT paddy was procured by the Corporation in the year 2016-17, against 22,800 MT procured during the year 2014-15. He said, “In all the NE States, tollfree numbers have been installed and GPS tracking is being set up to track trucks carrying food from godowns for all-round scrutiny. Also, an online grievance system for addressing the public grievances as well as a State Food Commission has been set up.”