NEW DELHI: The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution, led by DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, has recommended measures to enhance the storage capacity of the Food Corporation of India (FCI). These include plans to construct dedicated godowns and conduct a study on the cost-effectiveness of FCI’s own storage compared to hired facilities.The FCI, a public undertaking, has failed to meet its target for constructing new godowns, relying instead on rented spaces from private parties. The panel has recommended conducting a detailed analysis to evaluate the expenses associated with rental liabilities for hired storage facilities versus the costs of maintaining own storage in the states.“It will provide valuable insights into the true cost-effectiveness of FCI’s storage strategy and enable informed decision-making regarding future investments in storage infrastructure,” the report said.In the report on demand for grants for 2024-25 placed in Parliament, the committee also recommended the ministry of food and consumer affairs to formulate an implementation strategy to achieve the new storage construction targets and solve storage-related issues in timely manner.Though reasons cited for slow pace of construction were delay in land acquisition from the state governments, harsh topographical conditions and inclement weather, the panel suggested the ministry to put in place better planning and management. The report said that against the target of godown construction with 50,100-tonne capacity in 2023-24, the FCI could achieve only 1,760-tonne capacity, utilising Rs 52.75 crore.
Source link
