By IANS,
New Delhi : To find ways to enhance food procurement in view of the proposed National Food Security Bill, the government will discuss with some state secretaries wheat procurement in the Rabi (winter) marketing season 2012-13.
“Food secretaries from wheat procuring states will meet in Delhi Feb 21 to discuss the arrangements for procurement of wheat for the Rabi marketing season 2012-13,” a food ministry statement said Thursday.
Union Food Secretary B.C. Gupta will chair the meeting.
According to officials, the meeting will review state-wise estimates for procurement of wheat.
Though the production figures of wheat will be available only after the release of the second advanced estimates, state-wise arrangement of procurement on the basis of past performance will be reviewed, they said.
Last year, an all-time record wheat procurement of 283.34 lakh tonnes was made, particularly from some states like Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
Sources said increased procurement will require adequate storage space arrangements and the meeting will discuss these measures.
Besides early movement of the wheat stocks of previous years, the movement of surplus stock of Rabi season 2012-13 will also be taken up.