NGOs allowed to buy foodgrains directly from FCI for relief operations: Govt

Non-government organisations and charitable institutes can now buy wheat and rice from state-owned Food Corporation of India (FCI) without going through e-auction process, the Food Ministry said on Wednesday.

These organizations can purchase up to 10 tonne of foodgrains at a time from the FCI at the predetermined reserve prices under the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS), it said in a statement.

Hitherto, only state governments and registered bulk users like Roller Flour Mills were allowed to buy the foodgrain stock from FCI at OMSS rates, it added.

"NGOs and Charitable organizations are playing an important role in providing cooked food to thousands of poor and needy people during this time of nationwide lockdown. To ensure uninterrupted supply of foodgrain to these organisations, the government has directed FCI to provide wheat and rice to them at OMSS rates without going through the e-auction process," the ministry said.

The details of lifting of foodgrain by such institutions would be intimated to the concerned district magistrates to ensure that the foodgrain are utilised for the intended purpose, it said.

"It will help relief camps in their philanthropic work of feeding poor and migrant workers in the country," it added.

FCI, the central government's nodal agency for procurement and distribution of foodgrains, has a network of more than 2,000 godowns in the country and such a large network of godowns will ensure smooth supply of food grains to these organisations in this hour of crisis.

Since the day of the lockdown, the government said the FCI has delivered 3.2 million tonne of foodgrains to states for PDS distribution as per the allocation specified under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).

FCI has already handed over about 1 million tonne of foodgrains to states for free distribution under the Padhan Mantri Garib Anna Yojana (PMGAY).

The government said it is closely monitoring the stock position in every state and ensuring sufficient stocks made available at all places.

As on April 7, the FCI was having 54.42 million tonne of foodgrains, which includes 30.62 million tonne rice and 23.80 million tonne wheat.