New Delhi, July 26 : The government today asserted that there is no shortage of food grains to implement the food security in the country under the National Food Security Act.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public distribution Minister, Ram Vilas Paswan said, the stock of food grains in central pool as on 1st July is 548.50 lakh tonnes, against the buffer norms of 411 lakh tonnes to meet the demand of food grains for the Public Distribution System and other welfare schemes.
Paswan also informed that wheat, rice and coarse grains are procured by the government from farmers at Minimum Support Price (MSP) which is used for supply to States for distribution under the PDS.
The minister, however said, the farmers have the option to sell their produce to government agencies at MSP or in the open market as is advantageous to them.
