Govt has approved emergency foodgrain fund: Saryu Roy

Jharkhand Food, Civil Supply and Consumer Affair Minister Saryu Roy today said the state cabinet has recently approved the setting up of an emergency foodgrain fund.

The cabinet has already approved the proposal of establishing emergency foodgrain fund "Grain Bank" in 4400 panchayats of the state and order has also been issued to release money for the same, Roy said while addressing a press conference here.

The emergency foodgrain fund would be set in all gram panchayats and municipal corporations, he said adding the emergency fund would also be set up at district level.

The emergency foodgrain fund would be allocated to the deputy commissioners, who will transfer it to all gram panchayats and ward councillors, Roy said stating that the objective was to provide foodgrain to bonafide beneficiaries in cases of emergency such as starvation.

All the mukhias (panchayat chief) and ward councillors will be allocated Rs 10,000 each as emergency fund to deal with any emergency cases like starvation-related cases in the state, he said.

Besides, all the deputy commissioners will have a revolving fund of Rs 5 lakh each, the minister said.

The fund was meant to purchase foodgrain to address emergency cases in their respective areas, he said.

Asked why fund was issued instead of storing foodgrains in the bank, Roy said the chances of foodgrain getting damaged was more whereas the concerned mukhia can purchase and deliver foodgrain immediately in case any starvation cases was brought to his notice.

The estimated budget for the grain bank was estimated to be around Rs 6.5 to 7 crore per annum, Roy added.