Addressing storage problem will be priority, says Food Secretary Sudhir Kumar

NEW DELHI: Challenges faced by the government in foodgrains management, especially on storage front, will be addressed on a priority basis, the new Food Secretary, Sudhir Kumar, said here today.

"Our priority is to address the challenges faced in foodgrains management. I hope to make good progress with the support of officers," Kumar told PTI after assuming Office.

He succeeded B C Gupta, who has retired. Kumar, a 1978 IAS officer from Uttar Pradesh cadre, takes charge as new Food Secretary at a time when the country is facing an acute shortage of storage space in the wake of higher procurement of rice and wheat due to record production.

Kumar was earlier serving as Special Secretary in the Ministry of Women and Child Development.

The new Food Secretary would also be preoccupied with completion of PDS computerisation to check leakages and implementation of proposed Food bill, among other issues.

At present, the government godowns have rice and wheat stock of more than 70 million tonnes against the storage capacity of only 63 million tonnes.

To ease pressure on storage, the government is planning to offload an additional 13 million tonnes of foodgrains through ration shops and in the open market.