(a) whether heavy expenditure is incurred on transportation of foodgrains to storage godowns;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the foodgrains are lost during transportation;
(d) if so, the quantity of loss of foodgrains has come to the notice of the Government during the last three years; and
(e) the measures taken by the Government to check the wasteful expenditure and loss of foodgrains?
THE MINISTER OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI SHANTA KUMAR)
(a),(b),(c),(d) & (e) : A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a),(b),(c),(d) & (e) OF THE STARRED QUESTION NO.
188 FOR ANSWER IN THE LOK SABHA ON 4-8-2000.
(a)&(b): Yes, Sir. The FCI incurs an expense of around Rs.1100 Crores on an average
per year on transportation by rail. Almost 93% of stocks are moved by rail only.
(c): Yes, marginally. Foodgrains are lost in transportation all the way to consuming and
storage regions, sometimes involving transshipment and over long haulages.
(d): the quantity of foodgrains lost in transportation by rail during the last three years
is given as under:-
Qnty. In lakh tonnes(e): Food Corporation of India has taken the following measures amongst others to check the losses in transportation :-
Year Quantity Lost Quantity Moved % age on Quantity moved
1996-97 3.47 265.03 1.31 1997-98 2.78 234.18 1.18 1998-99 2.66 227.27 1.17