For the nation’s economy to stabilise, farmers’ lot must improve.
The Food Corporation of India (FCI) is making all out efforts to ensure that farmers get the best price for their produce even as consumers have access to quality foodgrains, Union Minister for Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan said here on Friday.
Speaking after laying the foundation stone for new buildings to house the FCI Food Museum and district office, Mr. Paswan said the museum would be one of its kind in the country showcasing the growth and activities of the FCI and would sensitise farmers from throughout the country about benefits of the FCI.
Reiterating that the FCI was concentrating on improving storage and distribution aspects more than procurement, Mr. Paswan said it was pertinent that the FCI was able to procure over 600 lakh tonnes of foodgrains this year despite hailstorm and other natural impediments in several parts of the country.
That was more than the previous year’s procurement, he added.
When farmers from north India represented, the Union Minister said he directed the FCI to procure all their produce without any reduction in the purchase price.
On the attitude of the Centre led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr. Paswan said the present dispensation did not distinguish caste, creed, or religion but was only concentrating on development plank. Speaking on the need to uplift the marginalised sections of society, Mr. Paswan said that Dalits among Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, and Buddhists were seeking these benefit of reservation and other facilities enjoyed by those in Hinduism and passionately called upon all political parties to support the move to sanction reservation in service promotions to the oppressed and the marginalised as a means of their social uplift.
