Village grain bank scheme in NE states

Aizawl, July 3 (UNI) Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution has decided to set up village grain bank scheme across the North Eastern states.

These measures are part of the scheme to set up 3282 grain banks in various states of the country for which a sum of Rs 50 crore has been made during the current year, official sources here today said.

The Village Grain Bank Scheme provides food grains in chronically food deficit areas to be run by BPL and AAY families in the villages.

The main aim of the scheme is to provide safeguards against starvation, during a natural calamity or the lean season by lending grains for stocking for an average of 40 families.

Grain banks are set up in food scarce areas like tribal and inaccessible hilly areas and drought prone areas. Self help groups, NGOs, Village Panchayats, Gram Sabhas will be eligible for running the grain banks.

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

Till 2004-05, about 4858 grain banks were set up in the country, the sources added.

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