21, 751 Village Grain Banks Sanctioned for 20 States

The Government has been sanctioned 21,751Village Grain Banks to 20 States. The Village Grain Banks Scheme provides safeguards against starvation during period of lean season or natural calamity, when marginalized food insecure households do not have sufficient resources to purchase rations. Such households in need of food grains, can borrow food grains from the Village Grain Banks set up within their villages to be subsequently returned to the Bank.

The grain banks can be set up in food scarce areas like drought prone areas, hot and cold desert areas, tribal areas and the inaccessible hilly areas which remain cut off because of natural calamities like flood etc.

About 30-40 Below Poverty Line/Antyodaya Anna Yojana families may form a grain bank. These villages are to be identified/notified by the concerned State Government/Union Territory Administration. Foodgrains are loaned to BPL families @ one quintal per family under Village Grain Bank Scheme, he added.

This information was given by Prof. K.V. Thomas, Minister for Consumer Affairs Food and Public Distribution System in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.