GOVERNMENT OF INDIA |
Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution |
DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
|
RAJYA SABHA |
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO 165 |
TO BE ANSWERED ON 03.07.2009 |
Food Bank for SA Countries . |
165. |
SHRI RAJEEV CHANDRASEKHAR |
|
|
Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION be pleased to state:-
(a) whether it is a fact that Government proposes to contribute foodgrains for a Food Bank being set up to meet the emergency food demands of SAARC countries;
(b) if so, the share of each country, country-wise, proposed to be contributed for the purpose; and
(c) the process to be adopted for operationalization of the proposed Food Bank?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
(PROF. K.V. THOMAS)
(a)&(b): Yes, Sir. Government has contributed 1,53,200 tons of foodgrains for SAARC Food Bank which has initial capacity of 2,43,000 tons to meet emergency food demands of members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
The assured share of each SAARC member country in the SAARC Food Bank is given below:-
Name of the Member States Assessed share of foodgrains (in tons)
Afghanistan 1420
Bangladesh 40,000
Bhutan 180
India 1,53,200
Maldives 200
Nepal 4,000
Pakistan 40,000
Sri Lanka 4,000
Total 2,43,000
(c): Based on the Colombo Statement on Food Security adopted in the Fifteenth SAARC Summit held in New Delhi on 2-3 August 2008, SAARC Food Bank has been operationalised. In the Second meeting of the SAARC Food Bank Board held in Colombo, 12-13 February, 2009, the SAARC Food Bank Board has agreed for transacting its business in terms of drawal of food grains by Member States from their own reserves as well as from reserves of other Member States. As provided under articles VI and VIII of the Agreement on establishing the SAARC Food Bank, in case of food emergencies a member country may withdraw foodgrains from its own assessed reserve by intimating other members and from shares of other member countries by approaching them.