Lift Ban On Wheat, Premium Non-Basmati Exports, Says House Panel.

A Parliamentary panel has asked the government to expedite the decision on lifting the ban on export of wheat and premium quality non-basmati rice, while expressing displeasure over the wastage of foodgrain.

While wheat exports have been banned since 2007, shipments of some of the premium non-basmati rice varieties have been slapped with such restriction from 2008.

(However, on July 19, the government allowed exports of one million tonnes of non-basmati rice.)

"...Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) should expedite the decision on the possibility of export of wheat and rice in view of the huge availability of stocks over and above the buffer stocks...and increasing pressure on procuring agencies on account of storage," said the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce in its 19th report.

The report comes a day ahead of the EGoM on food, headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, that is expected to discuss export of surplus wheat and sugar.

Pointing out the decision on wheat export should have been taken well in advance, the Committee asked the government to decide quickly on export of surplus foodgrains so that "the same is not wasted due to poor storage capacity."

The report further noted that "...the Commitee is appreciative of the fact the government intends to move the legislation on food security shortly. ...Nevertheless, the anxiety to store foodgrain must not lead us to lose a precious national asset to waste and indecision."

"It is a criminal wastage to let foodgrains rot in poorly maintained godowns and warehouses without reaching hungry plates," the Committee observed.

Currently, the government godowns have bulging foodgrains stock of 61.27 million tonnes so far this year, as against the buffer and strategic requirement of 21.2 million tonnes.

The government has covered facilities to store only 44 million tonnes and the rest is kept in open areas.

Source : news.in.msn.com