FCI appeals State denizens on PDS awareness
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, June 15 2013 :
Expressing concern over the existing gap between the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and the people of Manipur in regards to the public distribution system, the FCI has appealed to the people of the State to be aware of the public distribution system of the Central Government by going through its concerned websites and contacting the Department of Food and Consumer Affairs, Government of Manipur and the Deputy Commissioners concerned regularly.
Even as the FCI has allocated the required food grains like rice, wheat, sugar etc in good quality enough for the people of Manipur monthly, people living in far flung areas of Manipur are not aware of what the FCI under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution is doing for them, noted a statement issued by Huidrom Nabakumar Singh, Member, Consultative Committee of FCI for Manipur.
The statement said that construction works of FCI godown in Manipur have been delayed due to non-finalisation of land by the State Government for over two years.
The FCI has already proposed to construct 10000 MT capacity godown at Sawombung in Imphal East, 5000 MT at Bishnupur, 2500 MT at Chandel, 5000 MT at Tamenglong, 10000 MT at Jiribam and 2500 MT at Thoubal for storage of sufficient essential commodities for the people.
Out of the two constructions at Senapati (5000 MT) and Churachandpur(2500 MT), the godown at Senapati has been completed, it said.
Existing godowns at Sangaiprou (13090 MT), Ukhrul (5000 MT), Jiribam (5000 MT) and Koirengei on hiring (7000 MT) are not sufficient to meet the stock of the whole population of Manipur.
Due to non-finalisation of land for construction of godowns in Manipur, the FCI has recently taken decision for construction of godowns under Private Entrepreneur Guarantee (PEG) scheme.
At present, the FCI allocates 7887 MT rice and 1106 MT wheat and 1470 MT sugar every month to the State Government for the people of Manipur.
It is not known whether it has been reached to the beneficiaries or not.
There is no any designated fair price shops in Manipur which are regularly distributing these essential items to the people.
As per record, there are 2465 fair price shops in Manipur.
As per an order issued by the Union Ministry of Consumer, Food and Public Distribution, Government of India on October 10 last year for constitution of State/Union Territory level Consultative Committees for the FCI to protect the interests of the producers as well as the consumers and to advice the FCI on various matters relating to procurement, storage and distribution of food grains; the State Level Consultative Committee of FCI for the state of Manipur was constituted with Thangso Baite, Member of Parliament as Chairman.
The State Consultative Committee will soon visit the Fair Price Shops in Manipur to inspect the distribution of food grains in good quality or not as decided in a meeting held at Imphal recently, it added.
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