The Food Corporation of India will accord utmost priority to ensuring food security to Andhra Pradesh, one of the largest rice- producing and riceprocuring states in the country after Punjab, apart from providing effective minimum price support for safeguarding the interest of the farmers.
Interacting with FCI’s top officials in the state on the occasion of his assuming charge as executive director (transport) in New Delhi on Monday, Dinesh Kumar, a senior IAS officer of the AP cadre, said the objective of the central government’s food policy was to make allout efforts to ensure the minimum price support to farmers and proper supply of food grains throughout the country for the public distribution system.
He has directed FCI officials to take all needy steps to maintain satisfactory level of operational and buffer stocks of food grains to ensure food security in Andhra Pradesh.
Dinesh Kumar had earlier served the state in finance, social welfare, excise, CMO, transport and power departments.
Since food security was vital for economic growth, the FCI would ensure payment of MSP which was, at present, Rs 1,285 a tonne for paddy and making all food grain stocks available to the targeted segments of consumers, he said.
The FCI will extend the utmost support to the Andhra Pradesh government in implementing schemes for farmers’ welfare apart from increasing the production, procurement, storage, and transportation capacities of paddy and other food grains for the benefit of Above Poverty Line (29.
94 lakh), Below Poverty Line (185.
59 lakh), Antyodaya Anna Yojna (13.
94 lakh) and Annapurna Card Holders (0.
037 lakhs) through 44,499 fair price shops in the state.
Several top officers of the AP cadre and senior officers of FCI congratulated Dinesh Kumar on his taking charge as FCI’s new executive director in the rank of joint secretary.
Kalyan Chakravarthi, a senior officer of FCI in AP region, also spoke.