TFP Bureau, Raipur, August 14, 2025 – The Department of Food and Public Distribution, Government of India, organized a state-level workshop on procurement reforms in Nava Raipur to enhance efficiency, transparency and use of technology in the food grain procurement system. Senior officials from the Union Government, the Food Corporation of India (FCI), and Chhattisgarh’s Food, Agriculture and Cooperation departments participated in the session.
The workshop was inaugurated with the presence of FCI CMD Ashutosh Agnihotri, Joint Secretary in the Union Government Ms. Shikha, and Chhattisgarh’s Food Secretary Mrs. Reena Baba Saheb Kangale. District Collectors, Food Officers and Marketing Officers from across the state also took part.
Union officials gave detailed presentations on reforms such as innovation in custom milling, revised norms for broken rice, updated procedures for joint physical verification of rice mills, and digitized procurement-distribution through the Central Food Procurement and Storage Portals. Ms. Shikha explained that the new policy aims to reduce the proportion of broken rice from 25% to 10% through mechanical upgrades, while surplus broken rice will be diverted to open markets. She noted that Chhattisgarh received 188 FCI racks in June alone, enabling the movement of nearly six lakh metric tonnes of rice to states like Karnataka, Telangana and Maharashtra under welfare schemes.
The workshop highlighted the adoption of automation and software-based methods for rice mill selection during joint verification, a move aimed at curbing irregularities. Officials also stressed on digitization of claims for additional expenditure through the online scan module, along with the use of route optimization in paddy procurement and storage. About 25 lakh farmers currently sell paddy at 2,739 procurement centers in the state, where infrastructure upgrades are being closely monitored and tracked via PCSAP software.
State Food Secretary Mrs. Kangale presented innovations introduced in Chhattisgarh’s public distribution system, including initiatives like Chawal Utsav, Token Tuhar Hath and Niyad Nellnar Yojana in Bastar. Officials further announced that registration of farmers on the Agritech portal has been made mandatory for paddy procurement in the upcoming Kharif season, a step expected to curb fake transactions. District Collectors have been tasked with ensuring 100% registration.
The concluding session featured presentations by senior FCI executives and Union officials, followed by a vote of thanks and felicitation of guests. Senior state officers including Marketing Federation MD Mrs. Kiran Kaushal, Food Director Mr. Kartikeya Goyal, Registrar Cooperative Mr. Kuldeep Sharma, and senior FCI officials were also present.
