WORLD’S LARGEST GRAIN STORAGE PLAN

Why in News?                                                                                                        

In order to address the shortage of food grain storage capacity in the country, the Government on 31.05.2023, has approved the “World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan in Cooperative Sector”, which is being rolled out as a Pilot Project in different states/UTs of the country. This was stated by the Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.

What is World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan?

• The Plan entails creation of various agri infrastructure at PACS level, including setting up decentralized godowns, custom hiring center, processing units, Fair Price Shops, etc. through convergence of various existing schemes of the Government of India (GoI), such as, Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure Scheme (AMI), Sub Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) Pradhan Mantri Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises Scheme (PMFME),
• Under these schemes, PACS can avail subsidies and interest subvention benefits for construction of godowns/storage facilities and setting up of other agri infrastructure.
• Further, NABARD is also extending financial support to PACS by refinancing them at highly subsidized rates of around 1 percent, after incorporating the benefits of 3% interest subvention under AIF scheme for projects up to Rs. 2 Crore.
• The Pilot project is being implemented by National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) with the support of NABARD, Food Corporation of India (FCI), Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC), NABARD Consultancy Services (NABCONS), National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC), etc. in different States/ UTs.
• In order to ensure accountability and smooth, effective and transparent implementation of the plan, Ministry of Cooperation has constituted an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC), which is authorized to modify guidelines/ implementation methodologies of the schemes identified for convergence, as and when need arises.
• A National Level Coordination Committee (NLCC) has also been constituted having members from Ministry/ Departments, Central Government agencies concerned to steer the overall implementation of the Plan and reviewing the progress of implementation, etc.
• To monitor the implementation of the project and to ensure its seamless integration with the existing policies/ programmes at State level, State Cooperative Development Committee (SCDC) at State level and District Cooperative Development Committee (DCDC) in each District of the State/UT have also been constituted.
• MoU has been signed between Ministry of Cooperation (GoI), Department of Food and Public Distribution (GoI), Food Corporation of India (FCI) and National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) to ensure full capacity utilization of the storage capacity being created at PACS level under the Project.
• States/ UTs and National level Cooperative Federations, like National Cooperative Consumers Federation (NCCF) and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED), have identified 1,711 PACS for creation of storage capacity under the Pilot Project. Presently, construction of godown is going in 13 PACS of 13 States/ UTs under the Pilot Project.
• For more info – https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1988374.