Village grain banks to be set up in NE states

Shillong, Jun 7 (UNI) Grain banks will be set up in Meghalaya and Tripura by the Centre, while considering proposals from Asom.

Union Ministry of Comsumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution sources said 3282 grain banks in various states would be set up for which Rs 50 crores has been dispatched.

The village grain bank scheme provides foodgrains in chronically food deficit areas and BPL and AAY families would be the beneficiaries.

The main aim of the scheme is to provide safeguards against starvation during periods of natural calamity or lean season by lending grains for at least 40 families.

Self Help Groups, NGOs, village panchayats, gram sabhas would run the grain banks.

Sources said about 4858 grain banks were set up in the country till 2004-05 in areas suffering from food scarcity like the tribal, hilly belts and drought prone areas.

The scheme was revised in February 2006 which envisages inclusion of all willing BPL-AAY families in the villages identified by the state government in the food deficit areas.

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