Piyush Goyal, the Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Commerce & Industry and Textiles, commended the efforts of State and Union Territory (UT) governments in the procurement and distribution of foodgrains. He urged all States/UTs to collaborate closely with the Government of India, emphasizing the significance of cooperative federalism.
The minister's remarks came during his chairmanship of the 'National Conference of Food Ministers of States/UTs' organized by the Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD) in New Delhi. Minister Goyal requested all States/UTs to promptly submit their pending claims on dues to the union government, enabling swift settlement. He acknowledged the crucial role played by the State and UT governments in ensuring food security and stabilizing domestic foodgrain prices.
The conference witnessed the participation of Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti and Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Union Ministers of State for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, alongside 17 Food Ministers, officials from 35 States/UTs, and representatives from the Department of Food and Public Distribution, Government of India.
During the event, the Department presented an overview of the procurement process for foodgrains, highlighting its scale and ongoing reforms. The efficient procurement system is vital in safeguarding food security and maintaining stability in domestic foodgrain prices. In a significant development, Minister Goyal launched a new Sugar-Ethanol portal during the conference. This platform aims to streamline and enhance the production and distribution of sugar-based ethanol.
As part of the conference, a demonstration of the 'Annapurti' Automated Multi-Commodity Grain Dispensing Machine, developed by the UN World Food Programme (UN-WFP), was conducted. Additionally, Automatic Grain Analyzers, designed for automated quality checking of grains, were showcased. The conference also featured a millet exhibition, exhibiting various millet products.
The first half of the conference focused on formulating a comprehensive strategy to increase the procurement of coarse grains. This strategic emphasis on coarse grains and millets aligns with the broader objective of strengthening the nutritional security of beneficiaries. It is projected that a total of 26.14 Lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT) of coarse grains will be procured during the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2023-2024, with an expected distribution of 22.31 LMT.
Several other key topics were extensively discussed during the conference. These included grading of procurement centers to ensure uniformity and quality, effective implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), adoption of the SMART-PDS scheme for end-to-end computerization of foodgrain procurement and distribution, transformation of Fair Price Shops (FPS), implementation of the Route Optimization study to streamline intra-State distribution, and diversification of the food basket through the distribution of coarse grains and millets.
The conference also provided a platform to showcase best practices adopted by various States/UTs, promoting cross-learning among attendees. Uttar Pradesh's construction of Model FPS using MGNREGA funds, Assam's e-KYC and de-duplication of ration cards, Gujarat's Supply Chain Automation, and Andhra Pradesh's quality assurance of Rice fortification were among the highlighted initiatives.
