Govt to sell 30LT grains to APL families to clear extra stocks

New Delhi, July 28 (PTI) The Centre has decided to sellan additional 30 lakh tonnes of rice and wheat to AbovePoverty Line (APL) families through ration shops in the nextsix months, to clear stock from overflowing granaries. At present, the government godowns are bursting withfoodgrains amounting to 57.8 million tonnes against the bufferrequirement of 31.9 million tonnes. "The EGOM has already taken the decision. We have writtento the state governments requesting them to lift as much assix months' requirement of foodgrains to APL category," Foodand Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar told reporters on thesidelines of an ICAR function here. The minister was replying to a query on whether thegovernment had decided to supply 30 lakh tonnes of foodgrainsto 11.5 crore APL families through PDS. Foodgrains will be supplied at APL rates, Pawar said. At present, APL families are getting 10-35 kg of wheatand rice per month at Rs 6.10 and Rs 8.30 per kg respectively. The development comes after the Empowered Group ofMinisters (EGOM) on food, headed by Finance Minister PranabMukherjee, recently met to discuss the foodgrains stocksituation in government godowns and ways to build extrastorage space among other issues. The Food Corporation of India is planning to add 130 lakhtonnes of storage capacity with the help of private parties. When asked if the government had taken any decision toaugment the storage space, Pawar said, "The EGOM has decidedto extend the guarantee period to private parties for hiringgodowns from seven years to 10 years." It has also decided toprovide godowns the infrastructure status. However, no decision was taken on imposing duty on wheatimport, allowing export of some varieties of non-basmati riceand on price of sugar sold through ration shops, he said. PTI