Shri Sharad Yadav, Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution currently on a tour to Bihar is monitoring arrangements for the procurement operations of paddy under minimum price support in Bihar. His tour will cover districts of Bhagalpur, Narayanpur, Madhepura, Pumea, Bhabhua, Mohania and Sasaram.
The Food Corporation of India (FCI) would procure 1.5 lakh metric tonnes of paddy in Bihar besides 2 lakh metric tonnes to be procured by state agencies this year. As on January 10, 2004, 4000 metric tonnes of paddy has been procured in Bihar which is more than double the quantity procured on the same date last year.
A special drive for procurement of paddy during the Kharif Marketing Season 2002-2003 had resulted in the procurement of 2.36 lakh tonnes of paddy as against 1.33 lakh tonnes procured during the year 2001-02. The procurement is being made under relaxed specifications in the quality norms of paddy procurement to mitigate hardship of farmers of Bihar and to avoid instances of distress sale. Under these relaxed specifications the maximum limit in respect of damaged, discoloured, sprouted and weevilled grains has been allowed upto 7% against 3% provided under uniform specifications. The maximum limit in respect of immature, shrunken and shrivelled grains has also been allowed upto 7% against 3% provided under uniform relaxed specifications.
FCI is operating 100 paddy purchase centres in the districts of Patna, Gaya, Bhagalpur, Purnea, Madhepura, Muzaffarpur, Saharasa, Chhapra, Dharbhanga and Samastipur. This is in addition to over 800 centres which are being opened by the State Government through the Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies in Bihar.
Adequate storage capacity has been built up in the State for taking up paddy and rice procurement as well as for meeting the requirements for the PDS and Other Welfare Schemes. The total storage capacity of FCI is 5.31 lakh tonnes comprising covered capacity of 5.03 lakh tonnes and 0.28 lakh tonnes under "covered and plinth" (CAP) storage. Additional capacity to an extent of 3 lakh tonnes has been sanctioned to the State of Bihar under the Seven-Year Guarantee Scheme.
(Release ID :654)