Union agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar told Rajya Sabha on Friday said the government was taking “appropriate action” and was in the process of setting up new storage facilities.
When asked about the construction of modern storehouses in view of huge amounts of grains being wasted in the absence of adequate facilities Pawar told that the government, the FCI (Food Corporation of India) has taken the responsibility of new godowns and is also introducing tenders.
The state governments are being asked to lease or provide land for setting up new warehouses for storage, told Pawar.
Pawar, however, added that the interests of the poor are being taken care of as the basic commodities are still being sold to people below the poverty line at prices agreed in 2002.
On Thursday the Supreme Court had said that the government could consider increasing the quantum of food supply to the population Below Poverty Line (BPL), open the fair price shops for all 30 days in a month and distribute food grains to the deserving population at a very low cost or no cost.
17.8 million tonnes of food grain, which can feed 140 million people for a month, is being wasted because of shortage of storage facilities.
The Supreme Court has suggested that the government distribute food free of cost to the poor rather than let it go waste.