CONSTRUCT MORE GODOWNS

CONSTRUCT MORE GODOWNS
The recent revelation that food grains worth Rs 58000 crores are lost for human consumption every year in the country due to poor storage, inefficient handling and lethargy of the Food Corporation of India [FCI] came as a rude shock. The FCI is buying food grains on a very large scale to provide for food security to the country. With increase in the population the quantity of the food grains to be procured is also increasing. This has necessitated increased properly covered storage space which is acutely lacking in the country. Instead of storing the procured food grains in the open, leaving them to the mercy of sun, rain and insects, and ,consequently losing them for human consumption, resulting in huge losses to the society, the government should embark upon a massive programme of godown construction. Such godowns should be constructed all over the country with preference to the places having large food grain markets, large consumption centers like metro centers, important railway junction points with good communication facilities etc. Apart from ensuring proper and scientific storage of food grains the government should also release the stocks to the market regularly so that the stock does not become stale and unfit for human consumption.