Lok Sabha Question No. 2849 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-13
Subject: Agro Warehouses
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: KIRIT PREMJIBHAI SOLANKI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2849 TO BE ANSWERED ON 13 TH  MARCH, 2018

## AGRO WAREHOUSES

## 2849. DR. KIRIT P. SOLANKI:

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

- (a) the number of functional agro  warehouses built or contracted under FCI (Food Corporation of India) in the country, the details thereof;
- (b) whether  the  Government  is  aware  of  any  gap  in  the  actual  and desired number of agro warehouses (which is approximately 15MMT) in the country, if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  extend  the  number  of  agro warehouses and if so, the details thereof along with the proposed number, time frame and revenue sources for the same; and
- (d) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  ease  the  multiple  regulatory requirements to improve the viability of agro warehousing as a business, if so, the details thereof?

## A N S W E R MINISTER OF STATE FOR  CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## (SHRI C. R. CHAUDHARY)

- (a):      Food  Corporation  of  India  (FCI)  deals  with  storage  of  only  foodgrains (Rice & Wheat) for distribution under Public Distribution System (PDS) in the country.  As  on  31.01.2018,  1840  Food  Storage  Depots  under  FCI  were functional across the country. The State-wise details are at Annexure.
- (b):  On the basis of peak stock requirement during procurement season, the overall storage capacity required for central pool food grains in the country is  about  600  Lakh  Metric  Tonnes  (LMT).  Against  this,  the  total  storage capacity available with Food Corporation of India (FCI), Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) and the State Agencies, both owned and hired capacity, was 735.46 LMT as on 31.01.2018. This comprises  of  611.31  LMT  covered godowns and 124.15 LMT cover and plinth (CAP) storage.  Thus, sufficient capacity is available for storage of Central Pool Stock.

(c):  Although there is sufficient capacity for storage of Central Pool Stocks in  the  country,  based  on  requirement  in  specific  areas,  the  Government constructs warehouses and silos mostly in Public Private Partnership mode to  augment  and  modernize  the  storage  facilities.    Private  parties  who invested and built warehouses for FCI under Private Entrepreneurs Guarantee (PEG) Scheme are given guaranteed rent for 10 years to enable them to get sufficient returns on their investment.

(d):  There is only one regulatory authority under Central Government namely, Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority (WDRA) for agro warehousing.  This  authority  has  simplified  its  rules  and  guidelines  for registration and inspection of warehouses. It has also launched a portal on 26.09.2017  for  online  registration  and  inspection  of  warehouses  for  the benefit of warehousemen.

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## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  OF  THE  UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  2849  DUE  FOR  ANSWER  ON 13.03.2018 IN THE LOK SABHA.

State-wise number of storage godowns available with FCI as on 31.01.2018

| SL. NO.   | REGION/U.T.                 | COVERED   | COVERED     | COVERED   | COVERED   | COVERED   | COVERED                  | COVERED     | COVERED       |
|-----------|-----------------------------|-----------|-------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|--------------------------|-------------|---------------|
|           |                             | FCI OWNED | STATE GOVT. | CWC       | SWC       | HIRED PEG | PWS 2010 PRIVATE PARTIES | TOTAL HIRED | TOTAL COVERED |
| 1         | BIHAR                       | 12        | 2           | 10        | 23        | 15        | 1 4                      | 55          | 67            |
| 2         | JHARKHAND                   | 6         | 0           | 2         | 11        | 19        | 0 1                      | 33          | 39            |
| 3         | ODISHA                      | 22        | 0           | 8         | 22        | 0         | 0 0                      | 30          | 52            |
| 4         | WEST BENGAL                 | 23        | 0           | 3         | 0         | 0         | 0 7                      | 10          | 33            |
| 5         | ARUNACHALPRADESH            | 6         | 3           | 0         | 0         | 0         | 0 5                      | 8           | 14            |
| 6         | ASSAM                       | 20        | 2           | 3         | 4         | 1         | 0 10                     | 20          | 40            |
| 7         | MANIPUR                     | 4         | 1           | 0         | 0         | 0         | 0 0                      | 1           | 5             |
| 8         | NAGALAND                    | 5         | 0           | 1         | 0         | 0         | 0 0                      | 1           | 6             |
| 9         | MEGHALAYA, MIZORAM, TRIPURA | 14        | 4           | 0         | 2         | 0         | 0 0                      | 6           | 20            |
| 10        | DELHI                       | 6         | 0           | 0         | 0         | 0         | 0 0                      | 0           | 6             |
| 11        | HARYANA                     | 33        | 16          | 17        | 27        | 130       | 0 1                      | 191         | 224           |
| 12        | HIMACHAL PRADESH            | 6         | 6           | 3         | 0         | 3         | 0 0                      | 12          | 18            |
| 13        | JAMMU AND KASHMIR           | 16        | 1           | 0         | 0         | 7         | 0 7                      | 15          | 31            |
| 14        | PUNJAB                      | 118       | 1           | 25        | 205       | 186       | 0 10                     | 427         | 545           |
| 15        | RAJASTHAN                   | 36        | 0           | 24        | 67        | 12        | 0 4                      | 107         | 143           |
| 16        | UTTAR PRADESH               | 45        | 1           | 21        | 99        | 60        | 1 0                      | 182         | 227           |
| 17        | UTTARAKHAND                 | 4         | 3           | 5         | 5         | 0         | 0 0                      | 13          | 17            |
| 18        | ANDHRA PRADESH              | 24        | 0           | 2         | 1         | 5         | 0 1                      | 9           | 33            |
| 19        | KARNATAKA                   | 22        | 0           | 5         | 19        | 7         | 0 1                      | 32          | 54            |
| 20        | KERALA                      | 23        | 0           | 0         | 0         | 1         | 0 0                      | 1           | 24            |
| 21        | TAMIL NADU                  | 14        | 0           | 11        | 11        | 10        | 0 2                      | 34          | 48            |
| 22        | TELANGANA                   | 11        | 1           | 7         | 5         | 6         | 0 0                      | 19          | 30            |
| 23        | CHHATTISGARH                | 21        | 1           | 3         | 12        | 4         | 0 0                      | 20          | 41            |
| 24        | GUJARAT                     | 14        | 2           | 8         | 0         | 1         | 0 1                      | 12          | 26            |
| 25        | MADHYA PRADESH              | 19        | 0           | 2         | 0         | 0         | 0 0                      | 2           | 21            |
| 26        | MAHARASHTRA                 | 13        | 0           | 9         | 24        | 27        | 2 1                      | 63          | 76            |
| 27        | COUNTRY TOTAL               | 537       | 44          | 169       | 537       | 494       | 4 55                     | 1303        | 1840          |

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