Govt asks FCI to automate depot operations to check grain loss

In order to minimise storage losses of foodgrains, the government has asked state-run Food Corporation of India (FCI) to automate the operations at 2,000-odd depots in the country.
"We are working on improving the efficiency of FCI depots. We have asked FCI to automate all depot operations to bring down storage losses of foodgrains in 18 months time," a senior Food Ministry official said.
There are about 2,000-odd depots including those hired.
The FCI is in the process of working out an action plan to automate the operations at these depots, the official said.
A software to accomplish this task has already been developed and tested in one-two depots in Andhra Pradesh. This needs to be scaled up and rolled out across the country.

On cost of the project, the official said that it would not be very high as computers are there at depots and software need to be installed, while manpower has to be trained.

Currently, there is some kind of computerisation done at FCI depots to an extent that it gives stock position data. However, every operation from loading to unloading of foodgrains is done manually.
"Automation of the entire process from entry and exit of foodgrains at depots would curb theft and manipulation. This will improve efficiency in operations," the official added.
FCI, the nodal agency for procurement and distribution of foodgrains for the PDS, has been incurring financial loss due to damage to foodgrains and storage and transit loss. It lost about Rs 1.79 crore worth of grains due to storage loss in the first quarter of this fiscal, as per official data.

As on August 1, FCI has 57.38 million tonnes of foodgrains stocks in its godowns.