Record procurement of rice despite deficient rain : Paswan

There has been a record procurement of rice during this kharif season and no shortage of foodgrains in the country despite two consecutive years of deficit rainfalls, Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said today.
"About 261.37 lakh tonnes of paddy has been procured till yesterday (February 11), while during the last kharif season it was 215.49 lakh tonnes," Paswan told reporters here.
"Even in Odisha, which has been hit by drought, the procurement till date is 16.07 lakh tonnes while during the last season, it was 15.06 lakh tonnes," he said adding maximum farmers have availed minimum support price this year for their produce.

The Food and Public Distribution minister said despite a weak monsoon for two consecutive years, there is "more than adequate foodgrain stock" available with the government under the central pool.
As on January 1, 2016, there is 237.88 lakh mt of issuable wheat stock and 126.89 lakh mt of rice under the central pool which is 50.79 lakh mt more than stocking norms. This excess quantity will help meet any contingencies arising due to monsoon failure or natural calamities.
Paswan said the Centre has also decided to share 50 per cent, 75 per cent in case of hilly and difficult areas, of the cost of handling and transportation of food grain incurred by the states and the dealer's margin. The move will help make coarse grain available to beneficiaries at the rate of Re 1 a kg, wheat at Rs 2 a kg and rice at Rs 3 a kg.

On scarcity of pulses in the country, Paswan said Food Corporation of India has started procurement of pulses from farmers at market price or MSP whichever is higher in order to create 1.5 lakh tonne buffer stock.

FCI has targeted procuring 20,000 mt of arhar, 2,500 mt of urad (total 22,500 MT) during the kharif marketing season, 2015-16. The target for procurement of chana dal has been fixed at 40,000 mt and masoor at 10,000 mt during the rabi marketing season, he said.
The union minister said the country has achieved almost 100 per cent digitisation of ration cards.
"The government has achieved significant milestone in reforms of PDS. Almost 100 per cent (99.9 per cent) ration cards have been digitised across the country," he said adding 42 per cent of them have been linked with Aadhar cards.

In total, around 77,000 ration shops across the country have automatic point of sale devices installed which will help check leakage and pilferage of food grains distributed through public distribution system, he added.