Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday expressed concern over the Food Corporation of India’s gradual withdrawal from procurement of foodgrains in the State.
He said the State government would raise the issue with the Centre and seek increase in the central agency’s procurement share.
An official statement said that Capt. Amarinder, during a meeting to review the procurement arrangements for the upcoming Rabi season, said that he would ask the Union Food Minister to increase the share of FCI in State procurement. The procurement, he pointed out, had declined from 30.69% to a mere 12% in the last 20 years.
“In the last ten years, FCI had been pulling back at the last minute from procuring even the quota decided at the start of the season,” said the statement.