Village Grain Bank Scheme
Village Grain Bank scheme is being implemented since November 2004 by the Department of Food & Public Distribution. The scheme aims to help marginalised food insecure households who do not have sufficient resources to purchase rations during lean season or natural calamities. Such households in need of food grains, can borrow them from the village grain banks set up within their villages to be subsequently returned to the bank. Such 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 Yojna families may form a grain bank. These villages are to be identified/notified by the concerned State Government/Union Territories. Food grains are loaned to BPL families at the rate of one quintal per family under village grain bank scheme.
So far (January 2013), the government has sanctioned 21,751 village grain banks in 20 states so far to provide safeguard against starvation during the period of lean season or natural calamities.
Bhupal Singh
February 23, 2014 at 5:39 pmBeing a good scheme which will support the Food Security Bill/Act in long run, management may be assigned to the selected Gram Panchayats because it is difficult for the poor to get united and form bank. The Panchayats should be make responsible that if any death occur in their village due to starvation strict action will be taken against the responsible Panch/Gramsabha Pradhan/Gram Pramukh/Village Chief. Presently the responsibility lies with the District Magistrate which can not work because the District Magistrate can not be expected to keep eye over each and every person in the District. This responsibility ultimately turns to be a political eye wash in case of trouble. For this a written intimation/instructions should be sent to each and every gram panchayat/gram sabha.