Lok Sabha Passes Warehousing Corporations Bill

18 March, New Delhi

The Lok Sabha Wednesday passed the Warehousing Corporations (Amendment) Bill, 2015. The Bill seeks to do away with the Central Government’s responsibility as a financial guarantor to the Central Warehousing Corporation, CWC.

Replying to a debate on the Bill in the House, Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said, there is no intention of the government to privatize the Corporation and the 55 per cent shareholdings of the government will remain with the company.

On the issue of foodgrain storage capacity, Paswan said that the government is promoting creation of silos in States as foodgrains are well protected in them.

He also informed the House, States have been asked not to hold any food grains in godowns not beyond one and half years. Paswan also stressed the need for opening of more and more procurement centres in States to facilitate farmers to directly send their produce at such centres.

Earlier, initiating the debate, Prof K V Thomas of Congress said government should give priority to the expansion and modernization of store houses. He said, concrete measures should be taken to minimize the post harvest loss of food grain production in the country.