PATNA: The Food Corporation of India (FCI) allotted 12.96 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of foodgrains under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojna (PMGKAY) as an initiative of Government of India in its fight against the COVID-19.
According to Assistant General Manager of FCI (PR) Sushil Tirkey, 12.96 LMT of foodgrains have been allocated for a period of three months, from April to June, of the current year worth Rs 5057 crores.
"The state government has already taken around 7.23 LMT foodgrains till May 13 of Rs 2819 crores in addition to 10.69 LMT foodgrains taken under the NFSA for the same period of April and June," Tirkey said through a press handout on Thursday.
He further claimed that 344 rakes of 9.3 LMT of foodgrains (including 6.65 LMT rice) were imported by the FCI of Bihar from Punjab, Haryana, Odisha and Chhattisgarh for free distribution under the same scheme across the state during the lockdown period from March 22 to May 13.
Quoting General Manager of FCI of state unit Sandeep Kumar Pandey, Tirkey said that Pandey has claimed that sufficient stocks of both rice and wheat have been made available in FCI godowns located across the state for distribution as per the requirement.
Besides Bihar, the FCI has allocated 120 MLT foodgrains for other states also for an estimated cost of Rs 46000 crores, which has been paid by the government of India.
"DV Prasad, chairman and MD of FCI not country has allocated the entire stocks if foodgrains for free distribution among the 80 crores of beneficiaries.And out of 120 MLT, nearly 79.74 LMT foodgrains have already been lifted by may 12," he said.