Foodgrain storage: No need for CLU to build godowns

NON-AGENDA ITEM Decision came after the matter was raised by minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu; state needs additional storage capacity of 33.5 lakh tonnes

›

We need covered area plinth godowns by April 1. If private firms are asked to take CLU permission, the godowns will not be ready in time. BHARAT BHUSHAN ASHU, food and civil supplies minister

CHANDIGARH: There will be no need for change of land use (CLU) for building covered area plinth (CAP) godowns for storage of foodgrains in Punjab.

A decision in this regard was taken in a cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Friday. The matter was raised by food and civil supplies minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu as a non-agenda item.

The issue came up during a pre-bid conference held last week in which 50 private firms interested in building godowns took part. The state needs additional storage capacity of 33.5 lakh tonnes keeping in view the wheat crop expected to start arriving in the mandis from April 1.

The department will shortly invite bids for the godowns, to be built over 1,250 acres, going by the formula of 2,500 tonnes of wheat to be stored on one acre land. Creating a storage space of up to 5,000 tonnes of foodgrains involves an expenditure of ₹35 lakh to ₹40 lakh and getting CLU permission would have added per acre cost of Rs 7 lakh to Rs 15 lakh.

“We need to speed up the process of building CAP storage, as we are running against time and we need the storage ready by April 1. If the private firms are asked to take CLU permission, the godowns will not be ready in two months’ time.

There is an existing policy of no requirement for CLU for building silos, so we have decided to replicate the policy for CAP storage also,” said Ashu. Of the 111 lakh tonne wheat stored in state godowns, 63 lakh tonne is stored in covered godowns and 48 lakh tonne is kept in the open, facing the vagaries of weather. Besides, 84 lakh tonne rice is also stored in state godowns. In the rabi marketing season beginning April 1, 135 lakh tonne wheat will come for storage in godowns.

RESERVATION FOR KIN OF GALLANTRY AWARD WINNERS

In compliance with the observations of Punjab and Haryana high court, the cabinet decided to fix preference in reservation to ex-servicemen, wards of ex-servicemen, and grandchildren of gallantry award winners.

As per amendment when an ex-serviceman is not available for recruitment against a reserved vacancy, and no wife or dependent child of an ex-serviceman is available, such a vacancy shall be reserved to be filled in by recruitment of the grandchild.

The cabinet also approved a job to the next of kin of Major Ravi Inder Singh Sandhu who had died while serving in United Nations Mission in Sudan in November 2019.

To streamline the functioning of the industries and commerce department and make its controller of stores wing efficient, the cabinet decided to restructure it by creating 38 new posts in place of 683 old ones that were either obsolete or non-essential and had been lying vacant.

The department had 1,644 sanctioned posts, of which 650 were lying vacant. The office of controller of stores had 84 sanctioned posts, of which 33 had been lying vacant since long. The move will result in savings of about Rs 24.90 crore annually.

RESTRUCTURING IN PANCHAYATS DEPT

The cabinet also approved restructuring of the engineering wing of rural development and panchayats department by allowing recruitment against vacant cadre posts.

TIWANA’S DEATH CONDOLED

The cabinet also passed a condolence resolution on the demise of noted Punjabi litterateur Dalip Kaur Tiwana, who also served as president of the Punjabi Sahit Akademi