Member of Parliament Chowdhry Mohammad Ramzan on Friday attended a high-level meeting with representatives of the Food Corporation of India (FCI), Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) and the Principal Secretary, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department, Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, to review the existing foodgrain storage infrastructure and future strategy in the islands.
At the outset, the MP was accorded a warm welcome and felicitated by senior officials of the UT Administration of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
During the meeting, detailed discussions were held on the overall development and supply position of essential commodities in the islands, keeping in view the region’s unique geographical and logistical challenges. The deliberations focused on strengthening existing storage facilities, future capacity enhancement and ensuring smooth movement and uninterrupted availability of foodgrains.
Chowdhry Mohammad Ramzan raised specific concerns regarding the expenditure incurred on renting private storage facilities and sought comprehensive details on rent payments, outstanding dues and the overall financial implications. He stressed the need for greater transparency, cost efficiency and timely creation of permanent and scientific storage infrastructure to reduce dependence on private godowns.
The meeting also laid special emphasis on strict quality control measures and regular inspections carried out by FCI through dedicated quality control teams to ensure that foodgrains supplied to the islands meet prescribed standards and remain safe for public consumption. The importance of continuous monitoring, scientific storage practices and coordinated efforts among concerned agencies was highlighted.
The MP underscored the importance for a robust, quality-driven and resilient storage and supply mechanism to ensure food security and uninterrupted availability of essential commodities for the people of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
