Staff Reporter
DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 20
In the past nine months, beginning January this year till September, the Food Corporation of India Regional Office in Dimapur, has procured 175582.645.835 metric tones of rice and another 30136.937.865 metric tones of wheat under statutory levy scheme and price support scheme respectively, from the Centre.
This was announced by FCI officials in a press conference today here in Dimapur. The FCI Regional Office also looks after the distribution of food grains to Manipur and the district of Karbi Anglong, Assam.
According to FCI officials, the monthly allocation of wheat grains – to be dispatched through the Public Distribution System – in Nagaland stands at 27160 quintals. For rice grains, the figure is 78570 quintals per month.
The PDS scheme has been divided into three different categories: Below Poverty Line (BPL), Above Poverty Line (APL) and Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY).
As per figures made available to the press on Monday, the district wise allocation of wheat grains (in quintals) under PDS are: 2898.3 for Kohima, 3045.26 for Mokokchung, 2567.08 for Wokha, 2554.19 for Mon, 2021.43 for Tuensang, 1955.3 for Phek, 2493.84 for Zunheboto, 2903.59 for Dimapur, 2017.6 for Peren, 2155.99 for Kiphire, 2317.24 for Longleng and 230 for “NAP’s Nagaland.”
The corresponding figures for rice grains are: 7728.2 for Kohima, 9438.6 for Mokokchung, 7391.64 for Wokha, 6835.92 for Mon, 5657.4 for Tuensang, 7550.12 for Phek, 7573.36 for Zunheboto, 10267 for Dimapur, 5092.92 for Peren, 6222.16 for Kiphire and 4812.64 for Longleng.
The FCI officials maintained that the purpose behind divulging these figures was solely to inform the public of the same. “We want the Naga public to be aware that the State government is getting all these from the Center.”
They reminded that the duty of the FCI was to hand over those procured food grains to the state government. “After that it is the duty of the state government to distribute. Our prerogative ends there.”
The FCI in Nagaland has currently, five storehouses – one each in Mokokchung, Mon, Tuensang, and two in Dimapur. The total storage capacity of these five godowns is 36610 metric tones, according to FCI officials.
