The Union Government has decided to increase the storage capacity of food grains in Jharkhand, which is going to strengthen the food security in the State. In the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ programme organised by the Food Corporation of India here on Monday, Union Minister (Ministry of Food and Public Distribution) Ashwini Choubey informed about the efforts being made in this direction in Jharkhand.
Choubey, connected with the programme addressing officials online (video conference), said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, continuous steps are being taken to strengthen food security across the country. These efforts are also being done in Jharkhand.
Choubey said that Jharkhand had a storage capacity of food grains of about 2.35 LMT (Lakh Metric Tonnes) in 2015, which will increase to 4.45 lakh metric tonnes in 2020-21. The Buxar (Bihar) MP said that the Food and Public Distribution Department is moving towards modernisation of storage capacity of food grains, under which new warehouses/godowns will be set up across the State. Work is being done on the plan scheme to increase the storage capacity in Jharkhand. Under this, a warehouse of 10,000 metric tonnes is to be prepared in Chatra (Itkhori). Efforts are also being made to construct a warehouse of 10,000 MT capacity at Poreyahat (Godda).
The tender process for construction of godowns in these two places is underway, followed by which the construction of godowns in these two places will be done. The Minister also said that apart from construction of godowns at these two places the construction work of warehouses/godowns at Dumka will also be done. The High Court has also given its consent for construction of godowns in Dumka too. The process of land acquisition is going on by the Jharkhand government to build a warehouse in Dumka.
Choubey also said that during the pandemic period food grains were distributed among 80 crore people for 15 months as announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In Jharkhand 18.30 lakh metric tonnes of food grains were distributed among 58.14 lakh people in which the Union Government incurred a cost of Rs 6515 crore. The minister also said that aiming to make paddy procurement more farmer-centric, the Union Government has decided to increase paddy procurement in the State. The Minister said that in Jharkhand under the Kharif Marketing season 4.27 lakh metric tonnes of paddy was procured and in the process the government disbursed Rs 1173 crore to farmers. In 2021-22 the target has been enhanced and the government has set a target to procure 5.44 lakh metric tonnes of paddy.
Earlier, in Ranchi the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ programme was inaugurated by Ranchi MP Sanjay Seth. Apart from Seth, Ranchi MLA and former minister CP Singh, Deoghar MLA Narayan Das, former MP Yadunath Pandey, advisor to minister Colonel Navin Jha, FCI director (East Zone) Ajit Kumar Sinha, MD Harshit Singh and others attended the function.
The minister on the occasion also paid tributes to state freedom fighter including Dharti Aaba Bhagwan Birsa Munda, Tilka Manjhi, Sido-Kanhu, Pandey Ganpat Rai, Sheikh Bhikari and Vishwanath Shahdeo and remembered their martyrdom for country.