Lok Sabha Question No. 5793 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-04-03
Subject: Transportation of Foodgrains
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: ANOOP MISHRA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5793 TO BE ANSWERED ON 3 rd  APRIL 2018

## TRANSPORTATION OF FOODGRAINS

5793.

SHRI ANOOP MISHRA:

Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION miHkksDrk ekeys] [kk| vkSj lkoZtfud forj.k ea=h be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has explored other options for the transportation of foodgrains to the State, if so, the details and the outcome thereof along with the reasons for rejecting the same, State-wise including Madhya Pradesh; and

- (b) the corrective steps proposed in this regard?

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR  CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## A N S W E R (SHRI C. R. CHAUDHARY)

(a & b)  Yes, Madam. Food Corporation of India (FCI) undertakes movement of containerized transportation of foodgrains wherever it is economically viable for the Corporation in comparison to conventional rail-cum-road movement.

During 2016-17, FCI moved 13 containerized rakes with a total saving of Rs. 44 lakhs.  A target of 100 containerized rakes movement was kept for 2017-18,  against  which  131  containerized  rakes  have  been  moved  till  date with approx. savings of Rs.593 lakhs.  One container rake has been loaded from Madhya Pradesh  till date.

## State-wise details of the containerized rakes movement are as under:

| Name of the State   |   No. of Container rakes moved during 2016-17 |   No. of Container rakes moved during 2017-18 |
|---------------------|-----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|
| Punjab              |                                             5 |                                            65 |
| Haryana             |                                             1 |                                            22 |
| Chhattisgarh        |                                             5 |                                            29 |
| Andhra Pradesh      |                                             2 |                                            14 |
| Madhya Pradesh      |                                             0 |                                             1 |
| Total               |                                            13 |                                           131 |

At  present,  containerized  movement  of  foodgrains  from  Madhya Pradesh are not found economically viable.

As  an  alternative  to  the  road  movement  related  problems  in  NE States  like  landslides  &  deplorable  condition  of  National  Highways  during rainy season and megablock, FCI undertook riverine movement of foodgrains and  moved  9942  MT  foodgrain  from  Vishakhapatnam  (Andhra  Pradesh)  to Tripura via Ashuganj (Bangladesh) during 2014. Further FCI moved 9691 MT and 2267 MT foodgrains from Kolkata to Tripura via Ashuganj (Bangladesh) during 2015 and 2016 respectively.

FCI has also moved foodgrains via sea route from designated depots of  Andhra  Pradesh  to  designated  depots  of  Kerala.    A  total  of  1.43  LMT foodgrain has been moved since 2013-14 to 2016-17 from Andhra Pradesh to Kerala through sea-route.

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