FCI Godowns to Be Shifted From Shaheed Gunj to Ease Srinagar Congestion
Mehbooba Raises Decongestion Plan With Ram Vilas Paswan
Srinagar, July 1, KNT: The State Government has decided to relocate the Food Corporation of India and Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department storage facilities from the congested Shaheed Gunj locality in Srinagar to ease traffic and reduce pressure on the civil lines area.
The issue was taken up by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti during a meeting with Union Minister for Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan at her official residence here on Friday afternoon. Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Choudhary Zulfkar Ali and Minister of State Ajay Nanda were also present.
The Chief Minister sought technical and financial assistance from the Union Ministry for shifting the FCI and CA and PDD go-downs to the outskirts of the city. She pointed out that several key hospitals and critical infrastructure facilities are located near the existing storage facilities, and frequent movement of heavy trucks causes severe inconvenience to commuters.
Mehbooba Mufti said nearly 100 kanals of land would become available in Shaheed Gunj after the relocation, which could be utilised for developing recreational spaces and parking facilities for the public.
It was decided that until a permanent relocation site is finalised, the FCI may temporarily shift its storage operations to Lethpora where adequate space is available. The Union Minister directed the Deputy General Manager of FCI to visit the Shaheed Gunj facility and expedite the shifting process.
The Chief Minister also sought additional food grains to implement the Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Food Entitlement Scheme under which the State Government is spending around Rs 400 crore to provide subsidised grains.
Other issues raised included funding under the e-PDS scheme on a 90:10 basis, construction of silos in Anantnag, Budgam, Pulwama, Kathua, Samba and Udhampur, adjustment of CA and PDD labourers in FCI and support for establishing 11 food testing laboratories. The Union Minister assured that the matters would be addressed on priority and said a meeting would be convened in New Delhi to review them. [KNT]
