Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 6 Keralam will retain only the required number of warehouses under the Food and Civil Supplies Department and Supplyco, while phasing out redundant facilities, state Food Minister Anoop Jacob said on Friday.
The minister said the decision followed a departmental assessment that the state had more warehouses than necessary and that many existing facilities lacked scientific storage standards and were in a dilapidated condition.
The state currently has 177 National Food Security Act (NFSA) warehouses and 56 Supplyco warehouses, Jacob said in a statement.
The department’s preliminary assessment is that all the 177 NFSA warehouses may not be required, he said.
The Public Distribution Commissioner has been directed to conduct an urgent review and submit a report on the matter.
The minister said the present situation was largely the result of warehouses being sanctioned around 2019 without properly assessing their requirements or adhering to prescribed standards.
Some buildings with inadequate storage capacity and limited basic facilities were also being used as warehouses. Even residential buildings had been rented out for storage purposes, he added.
These shortcomings have resulted in food grain wastage and imposed a considerable financial burden on the government in the form of rent, he said.
Teams comprising Supplyco depot managers, district supply officers and taluk supply officers will urgently inspect warehouses across districts and taluks to assess their actual requirements.
Unnecessary and outdated facilities will be phased out, while expressions of interest will be invited to identify new warehouses that meet scientific storage standards. The entire exercise has been directed to be completed within three months, Jacob said.
In Kollam taluk alone, there are currently nine warehouses, while only three are considered necessary by the department. Similar assessments will be carried out in other taluks to rationalise the existing facilities.
The minister also pointed out that improper construction and storage practices were among the major reasons for food grain spoilage.
Several warehouses have only one entrance, resulting in stocks stored first remaining inside for extended periods and becoming unfit for consumption due to ageing.
The government plans to prioritise scientifically designed warehouses with access from all four sides and adequate transport facilities to ensure efficient movement of stocks.
Such facilities will be established either under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model or by taking suitable buildings on rent, he said.
The proposed restructuring is aimed at preserving food grain quality, minimising storage losses and improving the efficiency of the public distribution system, the minister added.
(PTI News)
