THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government is preparing a buffer stock of food grains and other essentials amid concerns over shortage of items due to the COVID-19 crisis. Sources in the Civil Supplies Department said FCI godowns in the state have sufficient stock of rice and wheat for distribution to PDS beneficiaries for one year. The yearly requirement of rice and wheat for 87.41 lakh households holding ration cards is 14 lakh MT, both combined.
The department has now placed order with the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) for Green gram, Bengal gram, Black gram and Toor dhal.
“The plan is to prepare a buffer stock of these items. It would be sufficient for the total population for three months,” said an officer.
The purchase quantity was fixed according to the per person nutritional requirement set by the National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau. The order is for Green Gram 95,880 MT), Bengal Gram (3,760 MT), Black Gram (9,714 MT) and Toor Dhal (6,366 MT).