Lockdown : NGOs permitted to buy food grains directly from FCI for providing food to poor

The Central government has directed Food Corporation of India (FCI) to provide wheat and rice to NGOs and charitable organizations, providing cooked food to poor people amid lockdown, at the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS) rates without going through the e-auction process.

The Central government has directed Food Corporation of India (FCI) to provide wheat and rice to NGOs and charitable orgzations, providing cooked food to poor people amid lockdown, at the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS) rates without going through the e-auction process.

"To ensure uninterrupted supply of foodgrain to these orgzation, government has directed FCI to provide Wheat and Rice to such orgzations at the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS) rates without going through the e-auction process. Hitherto, only state governments and registered bulk users like Roller Flour Mills were allowed to buy stock from FCI under OMSS rates," read a release from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution.

The ministry said that these orgzations can purchase 1 to 10 Metric Tonnes at a time from FCI at the predetermined reserve prices.

"FCI has network of more than 2000 godowns in the country and such large network of godowns will ensure smooth supply of food grains to these orgsations in this hour of crisis. It will help relief camps in their philanthropic work of feeding poor and migrant workers in the country. The details of lifting of foodgrain by such institutions would be intimated to the concerned DMs to ensure that the foodgrain are utilised for the intended purpose," the release said.

According to the ministry, FCI has moved 2.2 Million tonnes from the surplus states since the beginning of lockdown. FCI has already handed over about 1 Million Tonnes of foodgrain to the state state governments for free distribution under the PMGKAY scheme.

"FCI has also delivered about 3.2 Million Tonnes of Foodgrains to state governments to meet the requirements under regular NFSA allocation since 24.03.2020. The stock position of foodgrains in every state/UT in the country is being closely monitored and ensured that sufficient stocks are made available at all places. As on 07.04.2020, FCI is having 54.42 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT) foodgrains (30.62 MMT Rice and 23.80 MMT Wheat)," the release read.

The ministry said that FCI is ensuring that supplies in open markets are also maintained at a healthy level to avoid any price shocks.

"FCI is regularly providing rice under OMSS directly to state governments and wheat to flour Mills based on the recommendations of respective DM/DC to stabilize supply and prices. So far 1.45 LMT Wheat and 1.33 LMT rice has been allotted," read the release.

( With inputs from ANI )