Food Corporation of India (FCI) plans to hire 6,000 more people over next six months to handle the rise in food grain procurement, said Food Minister, Prof K. V. Thomas on Thursday. This is in addition to the 4,000 people that FCI is recruiting at present for which the Staff Selection Commission has recently conducted written tests.
“Our board has approved hiring of 6,000 more people in the C Category and we will request SSC to undertake the additional recruitment,” Mr Shiraj Hussain, Chairman, Food Corporation of India told reporters on sidelines of the international wheat conference
FCI currently has staff strength of 30,000 employees. With the new additions, the total headcount is unlikely to exceed the sanctioned strength of 36,000 as FCI expects a significant churn due to retirements in the next few months.
Rise in procurement
FCI expects a marginal increase in rice procurement for 2011-12 at 35 million tonnes, up from 34 mt in the previous year, Mr Hussain said. The Government will decide the procurement target for the Central pool from the Rabi crop on February 21, Mr Hussain said. Last year, FCI had procured 28 mt of wheat for the Government.
Food grains production is set for a record harvest of 250.42 mt in the current year on record output in rice and wheat. The Government is expected to step up procurement as it gears up to implement the ambitious national food security bill through which it aims to provide subsidised food grains to the citizens. The Government would require about 61-65 mt every year over the next five years, Prof Thomas said.
The Government is also increasing the storage capacity by an additional 15 mt to 75 mt by 2015. “We have already finalised tenders for 11 mt and about capacity of 3 mt would be added by March 2012,” Mr Hussain said. An additional 7 mt capacity is likely to be added by March 2013.