Expressing concern over the Food Corporation of India’s (FCI) gradual withdrawal from procurement of foodgrains in Punjab, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Tuesday decided to raise the issue with the Centre and seek increase in central agency’s procurement share.
Capt Amarinder, while chairing a high-level meeting to review the procurement arrangements for the forthcoming Rabi Season, said that he would ask the Union Food Minister to increase FCI’s share in the state procurement, which he pointed out had declined from 30.69 percent to a mere 12 percent in the last 20 years.
He also highlighted that in the last 10 years, FCI had been pulling back at the last minute from procuring even the quota decided at the start of the season.
FCI, being the primary central agency mandated to ensure food stocks for the nation, should remain actively involved in the food procurement process, said Capt Amarinder adding that the gradual decline in FCI’s share adversely impacts the financial position of the whole procurement process, thereby burdening the state of Punjab.
“The last-minute refusal by FCI to not procure its earlier decided share always puts additional burden on the state’s finances,” he added.
Capt Amarinder also gave in-principle approval to withdraw four state procurement agencies — MARKFED, PUNSUP, PSWC and Punjab Agro Industries Corporation (PAIC) — from the procurement-related operations in a phased manner, beginning with PAIC.
The move is aimed at enabling these state procurement agencies to solely focus on their original mandate of promoting agro-based products and cooperative movements.
With a view to seeking early redressal of long pending food procurement issues with the Centre, Capt Amarinder said that he would be writing to the Union Finance Minister and the Union Food Minister seeking a joint meeting.
Underscoring the fact that despite the state being forced to take over the colossal Rs 31,000 crores Cash Credit Limit (CCL) gap as term loan, the structural issues between the state and the Centre remain unresolved, said Capt Amarinder adding that he would request the Modi Government to resolve all pending issues for once and all, at the earliest.
Lauding the state Food Department for ensuring four back-to-back seamless procurement operations since the present Government took over, Capt Amarinder asked the Food Secretary KAP Sinha to impress upon the Centre to hasten the process of grain-stock movement to create more space for the storage of wheat during the ensuing Rabi Season 2019-20.
Emphasizing the need to make elaborate arrangements for forthcoming Rabi Season, he also directed the Food and Civil Supplies Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu to gear up their entire staff for timely, smooth and hassle free procurement to win over the confidence of the farmers.
Expressing concern over the financial loss suffered by the state on account of spoilage, the Chief Minister also asked the Department to undertake effective steps for scientific storage of foodgrains.
The state expects to procure 130 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of wheat during the rabi marketing season 2019-20, out of which state procurement agencies will procure 104 LMTs wheat, said Food and Supplies secretary Sinha.
