Par panel endorses Shanta Kumar panel report on restructuring FCI

A Parliamentary panel on Friday endorsed the Shanta Kumar committee report on restructuring of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and expects the government to take ''conclusive action'' for the benefit of the general public.

In 2015, the High Level Committee (HCL) headed by senior BJP leader Shanta Kumar had submitted a report on restructuring of FCI.

The panel had given major recommendations on key issues related to procurement, public distribution system, National Food Security Act, stocking and movement, buffer stocking operations and liquidation policy, labour, direct subsidy to farmers, and end to end computerisation.

''The committee endorse the suggestions of HLC and expect the government to take conclusive action thereon for the benefit of the general public,'' the Parliamentary Committee on Public Undertakings headed by BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi said in a report tabled in Lok Sabha.

Making an in depth analysis of the recommendations of HLC, the committee also found that ''very fruitful'' and concrete suggestions had been given for improvement in the functioning of FCI.

On vacant positions in FCI board, the panel said as against the mandatory strength of 12 members, only nine members were actually in position as on December 2019 in the board.

The panel asked FCI to fill up immediately the vacant positions in a time-bound manner without further delay.

Regarding representation of two major producing states -- Punjab and Madhya Pradesh -- on FCI Board, the panel observed that no specific criteria has been laid down for determining the representation to the states in the board.

The Parliamentary panel recommended that rotational representation of states that are major producers of wheat and rice be given in the board of FCI so that all major states are represented turn-by-turn, which will facilitate the organisation in taking sound operational decisions.