Ensuring food security in the North East Region through induction of sufficient quantum of food grains from Ex-Surplus States of North India: Food Minister.Shri Ram Vilas Paswan, the Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution highlighted on Food Corporation of India’s preparedness to meet its mandate under the National Food Security Act 2013 regime in four North Eastern States of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Mizoram along with the status of implementation of NFSA in these States in a review meeting in Guwahati, today. Shri Rihon Daimary, State Minister for Food and Civil Supplies was also present in the meeting.The highlight of the review meeting was to ensure food grain availability under NFSA in the four States of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, and Mizoram, for which Food Corporation of India had increased its storage capacity in the NE Zone from 4.90 LMT during March, 2015 to 5.62 LMT as on January, 2018. In addition to this, capacity enhancement has been done to 25,000 Metric Ton under Private Entrepreneurs Guarantee scheme at Sorbhog which will be brought under utilization soon.
Shri Paswan 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. The Union Minister 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.”It was further highlighted in the meeting that one of the key variables in ensuring food security in the NER is the induction of sufficient quantum of food grains Ex-Surplus States of North India to NE States with regard to allocation. During the year 2015-16, the induction of food grains was 97% of allocation which increased to 105% of allocation during 2017-18 till January, 2018. It was also stated that since March 2014, 10 new terminals have commenced operation in the NE Zone for handling food grain rakes to bring nearly all States of the NE Zone under rail induction coverage.