There are 17 godowns in various districts of the Province with a covered storage capacity of 375,000 tonnes. The NRC Azakhel is the biggest godowns with a capacity of 122,000 tonnes where reserve stocks are kept for supplies to deficit districts as and when required whereas Peshawar godowns havening capacity of 34,000 tonnes cater for the requirements of Peshawar and Khyber Agency and D.I.Khan with a capacity of 35,000 tonnes caters for D.I.Khan, Tank and South Wazirstan Agency. Other godowns cater for the needs of the concerned districts.

No development schemes are presently under execution in the Department. Some of the godowns need repairs badly. Funds amounting to RS.10.000 million allocated for the repairs had been surrendered in the past two years. However, during this year a scheme of repairs in 10 godowns has been approved by the DSC on 13.01.2004 with an estimated cost of RS>9.255 million out of the allocated fund of RS.10.ooo million and efforts are being made to get the works completed during the current financial year.

The Federal Government has launched a scheme under the ADB Agriculture Loan-II covering Agriculture and Food Sector. Schemes for strengthening storage capacity in the Province needs to be forwarded to MINFAL for concept clearance which may be expedited. Structural study of the Food Department is also required for which a scheme can be sent to MINFAL for concept clearance under the said loan programme.

Most of the godowns in various cities are old buildings having now come in the centers of urban areas. Use of the facility as stores has now become under utilization of all asserts and hence relocation of the stores at some of urban centers needs consideration.


Administration

Food Secretariat and Directorate were housed in four hired buildings in the congested interior street in Tehkal Payan. The undersigned, immediately after taking over as Secretary Food on 17.02.2003 initiated a case for shifting of officers to some suitable place and at last the entire Food Secretariat and Directorate were shifted to the Benevolent Fund Building. The department was paying rent to private owners for four bungalows at RS.55,200/- per month and a better accommodation in the Benevolent Fund Building was obtained at RS>66,000/- per month being paid to the employees Fund. The time and charges on transportation for coming to Minister’s Office, Civil Secretariat, AG Office, State Bank and other Bank were saved. A working environment was provided in the department and the public was facilitated enormously. Computers were purchase for the Secretary’s, Deputy Secretary’s office and fax were installed and a photocopier machine purchased. With these facilities, work in the department improved.