Godowns of 2.93 lakh MT capacity are being constructed at 21 places under the first phase of the Food Corporation of India's 10-year scheme for increasing storage capacity for food grains in the State through private investors.
Under the scheme, investors are given guarantee for storing food grains for 10 years. The Madhya Pradesh Warehousing and logistics Corporation has been appointed as the nodal agency under the scheme.
The private investors have constructed godowns of 2.78 lakh MT capacity under the scheme. Of these, agreements have also been signed for storage of 1.45 lakh MT including 20,000 MT at Betul, Biaora in Rajgarh district 25,000 MT, Khargone 5,000 MT, Raisen 25,000 MT, Rewa 15,000 MT, Sanawad in Khargone 20,000 MT, Sehore 10,000 MT, Shivpuri 5,000 MT and godowns of 20,000 MT have been constructed at Ujjain.
In the second phase of the scheme, permission has been granted to private investors to construct godowns of 9.82 lakh MT capacity. Godowns under the second phase are being constructed at 51 places. Those private investors are being promoted mostly under the scheme who come under Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor, proposed state investors corridor, industrial groups, special economic zones, open market storage sector and agricultural export sector. Efforts are also being made to establish land bank in view of future requirements of storage and logistics.
Notably, the process for constructing new godowns has been started in view of the need for increased storage capacity for food grains purchased by the State government on support price. In the past it had been witnessed that for want of adequate storage capacity in the State, the food grains were damaged.