Haryana State Warehousing Corporation (HSWC) has approved the proposal for construction of 31,174-MT capacity godowns during the year 2015-16. At present, the Corporation is operating 117 warehouses across the State with a total storage capacity of 17.57 lakh metric tonnes (MT) as on August 31, 2015.
A spokesman of HSWC on Tuesday said that the total storage capacity includes covered godowns with capacity of 16.62 lakh MTs and open plinths with capacity of 0.95 lakh MTs.
The HSWC was set up to provide scientific storage facilities for a wide range of agricultural produce and notified commodities to farmers, government agencies, public enterprises and traders. The Corporation expects to earn a profit of over Rs44.69 crore during the year 2014-15.
The spokesman said that the HSWC, which is one of the state agencies for procurement of wheat, paddy and bajra for the Central Pool at the Minimum Support Price, procured 11.07 lakh MT of wheat from the 93 mandis allotted to it during 2015-16. The total procurement in the State stood at 67.54 lakh MT. Similarly, the Corporation has procured 1.19 lakh MT of paddy from the 44 mandis allotted to it till October 14, 2015, during the current procurement season 2015-16, he added.
Giving details about the construction activities carried out by the HSWC, the spokesman said that for scientific storage of food grains, work on godown with capacity of 1,38,327 MT was completed in March 2015, and stocks have already been stored in it.
For optimal utilisation of the available space, the Corporation has used all available space and constructed godowns different from traditional widths and sizes to make available maximum covered space for scientific storage of food grains, he said.
In order to recharge the rainwater, rainwater harvesting pumps have been provided in all campuses. Besides, weighbridges are being installed in all warehouses in a phased manner to facilitate the weighing of food grains.
The installation of as many as 30 weighbridges has also been planned during the financial year 2015-16.
Highlighting the steps being taken by the HSWC to facilitate the farmers, the spokesman said that the Corporation is running two extension service schemes, namely Dis-infestation Extension Service Scheme (DESS) and Farmers Extension Service Scheme (FESS).
He said that under the FESS, the Corporation imparts free training to the farmers about scientific storage of agricultural produce and dis-infestation measures. During the current year 2015-16, as many as 336 villages have been covered and 4,851 farmers educated under this scheme till September 30, 2015.
Similarly, under the DESS, stocks of farmers, cooperatives, traders and others are disinfested in their own homes and godowns. During the current year, the HSWC earned Rs 9.82 lakh under this scheme.
The spokesman added that under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, the Corporation is constructing ‘Sulabh Shauchalayas’ at each of its warehouse campuses and sites have also been selected for construction of ‘Sugam Toilets’ in various villages in Haryana under the Mission. Under the tree plantation drive, the HSWC has planted more than 1,000 trees in every available vacant space in all its warehouse campuses, he added.