FCI to hire 6,000 more employees in six months

State-run foodgrain procurement agency Food Corporation of India (FCI) will hire additional 6,000 employees in the next six months, Food Minister KV Thomas said here today.

"FCI will recruit 6,000 employees. We need young people to handle foodgrains procurement and distribution," Thomas said at a global wheat conference.

The minister said this will be over and above 4,000 employees FCI is hiring at present.

Later, FCI Chairman Siraj Hussain said that the organisation at present has 30,000 employees and it is recruiting 4,000 staff in Group C category through Staff Selection Commission (SSC).

"The board has approved filling up of another 6,000 staff and that will take six months. We will request SSC to undertake the recruitment in the Group C category," Hussain said.

He said that the total strength of the FCI will not cross 36,000 as some employees are retiring.

Asked about the financial burden on account of hiring, Hussain said: "There is no financial crunch... We are not likely to have any problem of cash flow in near future."

The government has increased the guarantee on FCI's cash credit limit by Rs 10,000 crore to Rs 40,000 crore. Besides, the subsidy has also been raised, he added.

FCI is the nodal agency for procurement and distribution of foodgrains in the country.