Chhattisgarh stocks foodgrains in inaccessible terrains

Chhattisgarh government had stocked foodgrains in the remote pockets that would remain cut off during the monsoon season.

State's food and civil supplies minister Punnulal Mohile said the shops under the public distribution system had been identified that would remain inaccessible during the monsoon months. The authorities had been directed to stock the foodgrains well in advance and in sufficient quantity, he added.

The department had identified 191 such shops across the 19 districts. Gariyaband district tops the list with 31 shops followed by Kanker district where 25 shops would remain cut off with the district headquarters during rainy season. The local administration had been given necessary direction in this regard. Mohile said 103074 quintals of foodgrains had been allotted for the 191 shops. The allotment contained 89,680 quintals of rice, 3053 quintal of sugar besides 438 kilolitres of kerosene and other items. The minister said the PDS shops identified would be stocked with the foodgrains before the onset of monsoon.

The state is expecting the first shower of monsoon 2015 by June 20. The onset of southwest monsoon in Chhattisgarh is likely to be delayed by about by about 5-10 days. The normal date of monsoon arrival in the state is between June 10 and June 15. Over the past many years, the monsoon is arriving late in the state.

The weather scientists said the monsoon was likely to be normal in Chhattisgarh though a 12 per cent short rainfall had been predicted at the national level.