NGOs, charitable trusts to get foodgrains from FCI for providing cooked food to poor

Dipak K Dash | TNN | Apr 8, 2020, 21:40 IST

NEW DELHI: The food ministry on Wednesday instructed Food Corporation of India (FCI) to allow NGOs and charitable organizations involved in providing cooked food to poor and need at Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS) rates without going through the e-auction process.
This is being done to ensure such organizations involved in the noble service don’t face scarcity of food grains. “The details of lifting of foodgrain by such institutions would be intimated to the concerned district magistrates to ensure that the food grain are utilised for the intended purpose,” the ministry said in a statement.
The FCI sells stocked food grains at Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS) rates to only state governments and registered bulk users like roller flour mills. But this is done through e-auctioning. These entities can purchase one to 10 tonnes of grains at a time from FCI at the predetermined reserve prices.
“This is for time the relaxation is being made for NGOS and charitable organizations to pick stock from FCI considering their crucial role in this crisis. Only government can’t provide cooked food to the poor and hence their role is very important,” said an official.
Recently, the food ministry had also relaxed norms allowing state governments to pick stocks from FCI under the OMSS without going through e-auctioning system.
FCI has network of more than 2000 godowns, which ensures smooth supply of food grains to all.
FCI has so far delivered about 3.2 million tonnes of food grains to state governments to meet the requirements under regular National Food Security Act allocation.