Village Grain Banks in Karnataka

After the transfer of the Village Grain Banks(VGB) Scheme to the Department of Food & Public Distribution by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs in November 2004, this Department in February 2006 circulated guidelines of the Scheme to all States/ Union Territories including Karnataka for sending proposals for establishment of VGBs as per the guidelines. The Government of Karnataka in September 2006 conveyed that the scheme would not be applicable to the State as there are no chronically food scarce areas in the State and also no tribal and hilly areas which are inaccessible during periods of drought and floods. Hence, the Central Government has not sanctioned/released funds to the Government of Karnataka for establishment of VGBs in the State till date. The guidelines issued by the Government gives, inter alia, details of the scope and objectives of the scheme, the areas/regions where the Grain Banks can be established, the organisations eligible to establish the VGBs the methodology of implementation, funding pattern, monitoring and evaluation. As per the guidelines Grain Banks are to be established in food scarce areas such as drought prone, hot and cold desert, tribal and inaccessible hilly areas etc. New Delhi