Minister for Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Pratap Kesari Deb has urged the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution to urgently accommodate the surplus rice procured in the State during the kharif season.
Deb expects that the Union Ministry will ask the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to make storage space available for public distribution system (PDS) rice to the tune of about 22.27 lakh metric tonnes.
However, the FCI godowns in the State are now filled up with wheat procured from other States, rued Deb."In view of the bumper harvest this kharif season, we have revised the target of paddy procurement of almost all districts, mostly Bargarh, Kalahandi, Subarnapur, Nuapada, Balangir, Sambalpur and Koraput," said the Minister.
He also said, "These districts have procured paddy more than the targets. The procurement of 35 lakh MT of rice is certainly a record. However, storage problem of paddy has been accentuated with the onset of early monsoon. We have asked all district Collectors to make suitable arrangements for storing paddy, now lying in the open."
Torrential rains, mostly in south and western parts of the State, have damaged the paddy of hundreds of farmers, dealing a blow to their economic backbone. In the recent kharif season, these areas contributed to record production of paddy for the State this time.
large quantities of paddy stored in the open at many places due to lack of adequate storage spaces or godowns in the State have either got damaged or has germinated after being exposed to incessant rains. The situation has prompted the State Government to seek the help of the Central Government in making immediate storage arrangements for the surplus rice procured during the kharif season.
Meanwhile, the Department of Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare in a recent communiqué apprised the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution about the increased rate of procurement of rice during both kharif and rabi seasons.
Initially, the target for procurement was 30 lakh MT of rice. Subsequently, the target was raised to 40 lakh MT. Till now, about 36 lakh MT of rice has been procured during the kharif and rabi seasons, which has already crossed the last year's procurement by more than 50 per cent.
However, paddy procured so far could not be carried to stores or godowns as all the stores and godowns are already filled up. Under the circumstances, the authorities have no other way but to pile large quantities of paddy in the open space covered only with plastic sheets.
Sources said the State needs at least 18 lakh MT of storage capacity to meet the rising demand of storing PDS items. But it has only about 10 lakh MT of space which includes six lakh MT of storage space belonging to the FCI.
As for the State Government, it only has four lakh MT of capacity of storage. It has initiated a process of creating more godowns to increase its own storage capacity.