India

Centre Enhances Accountability In Food Grain Procurement And Distribution

On Friday, the Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to improve the efficiency and accountability of food grain procurement and distribution. This step demonstrates the government’s commitment to refining the public distribution system (PDS) and managing food subsidy funds more effectively.

The MoU includes specific performance benchmarks for FCI operations and its depots. These benchmarks focus on optimizing the use of public funds and enhancing the overall performance of food security operations. Key performance parameters for FCI depots include capacity utilization, operational losses, security measures, and modernization and automation of processes.

Also Read: Supreme Court Grants Bail To CM Kejriwal; Restricts Public Comments

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution emphasized the need for evaluating public expenditure for cost-effectiveness and value for money. This involves benchmarking performance on critical operational parameters and ensuring institutional accountability.

In addition, the food processing sector has grown significantly, contributing more to the country’s economy. The share of processed food exports in agri-food exports increased to 23.4% in 2023-24, up from 13.7% in 2014-15.

The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) has approved several projects, including 41 Mega Food Parks, 399 Cold Chain projects, 76 Agro-processing Clusters, and 588 Food Processing Units under the PMKSY scheme as of June 30 this year. Over the past eight years, the food processing sector has grown at an average annual growth rate (AAGR) of about 5.35%.

Shibra Arshad

Recent Posts

Complete Ban On Drone Flights Over Noida International Airport ‘Red Zone’

Authorities have imposed a complete ban on the operation of drones and UAVs over and…

13 mins ago

Pak Army Chief Munir Revives Two-Nation Theory Amid Tensions With India

Pakistan Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir reignited controversy on Saturday by invoking the two-nation…

27 mins ago

Pope Francis Funeral: President Murmu & PM Modi Pay Final Tributes

Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, was laid to rest in a humble ceremony…

2 hours ago

Man Arrested For Raping Six-Year-Old Girl In Bihar’s Vaishali District

The Bihar police have taken swift action in arresting a man accused of raping a…

2 hours ago

PM Modi Distributes Over 51,000 Appointment Letters In 15th Rozgar Mela

PM Modi distributed 51,236 appointment letters to newly-recruited candidates in central government departments and organisations…

5 hours ago

Indian Embassy In Berlin Holds Memorial For Pahalgam Terror Victims

The Indian Embassy in Berlin organised a solemn memorial service to honour the victims of…

6 hours ago