Issues such as the restriction on States’ foodgrains purchase through the Open Market Sales Scheme (OMSS), the fortified rice programme and the strategy for procurement of coarse grains/ millets during the upcoming kharif marketing season are likely to be discussed at the national conference of Food Ministers of States and Union Territories on Wednesday.
States such as Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are likely to reiterate their opposition to the restriction imposed on purchase through OMSS.
Also read: Explained | The Centre-state tussle over the Open Market Sale Scheme
Recently, Karnataka had decided to directly transfer the benefit to people under the Congress government’s Anna Bhagya scheme, than providing foodgrains at a subsidised rate. The Tamil Nadu government had also raised concerns about bringing restrictions to the purchase of States from the Food Corporation of India.
The one-day meeting of the State Food Ministers with Union Food Minister Piyush Goyal, Ministers of States Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Union Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra and other senior officials will also see discussions on the effective implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, the National Food Security Act, implementation of “route optimisation study” by reducing overall logistics cost, implementation of smart public distribution system and improvement of fair price shops.
“This significant gathering aims to discuss and strategise on crucial agendas concerning procurement of coarse grain/millets, grading of procurement centres, effective implementation of PMGKAY, implementation of SMART-PDS, the launch of sugar-ethanol portal and nine-year achievement booklet by Mr. Goyal, rice fortification and various other important topics,” the Food Ministry said in a statement.
A Tamil Nadu government functionary said the issue of OMSS restrictions will be raised in the meeting. “The State used to purchase 70,000 tonnes of foodgrains through OMSS to be distributed among the people of Tamil Nadu. Now, the Centre has stopped it and we are forced to look at other ways to implement our schemes,” the official added. State Food Minister R. Sakkarapani will attend the meeting.
A Kerala official said issues in implementing the National Food Security Act will be taken up at the meeting. The official said the State had demanded the reinstatement of wheat allocation, which was allegedly reduced recently. The State had earlier complained against fortified rice, which was being distributed in two districts of the State. State Food Minister G.R. Anil had demanded studies into fortified rice before its universal distribution through PDS.
In an earlier meeting of Food Ministers, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat had also demanded that they must get more wheat from FCI stocks. Presentations on strategy for procurement of coarse grains/ millets, an action plan to ensure transparent operations in the upcoming kharif market season and on wheat stock limits will also be made during the meeting.
