Central Warehousing Corporation

Central Warehousing Corporation was established during 1957 to provide logistics support to the agricultural sector. It is a public Warehouse operator offering logistics services to diverse group of clients. CWC operates 448 Warehouses across the country with a storage capacity of 11.17 million tonnes providing warehousing services.^[1][2] These services includes foodgrain warehouses, industrial warehousing, custom bonded warehouses, container freight stations, inland clearance depots and aircargo complexes.

Apart from storage and handling, CWC offers services in the area of clearing & forwarding, handling & transportation, procurement & distribution, disinfestation services, fumigation services, consultancy services/ training for the construction of warehousing infrastructure to different agencies and other ancillary activities. CWC has 18 Regional Offices in the country.

Function

The Warehousing Corporation act, 1962:Subject to the provisions of this Act, the Central Warehousing Corporation may--^[3]

• Subscribe to the share capital of a State Warehousing Corporation;
• Act as agent of the Government for the purposes of the purchase, sale, storage and distribution of agricultural produce, seeds, manures, fertilizers, agricultural implements and notified commodities; and
• Carry out such other functions as may be prescribed.

The Warehousing Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2011 has been proposed in the Lok Sabha by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution seeking to make Mini-Ratna company Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) an independent body without government being a guarantor.^[1][2][4]

Operation

CWC operations include scientific storage and handling services for more than 400 commodities include Agricultural produce, Industrial raw-materials, finished goods and variety of hygroscopic and perishable items.

• Scientific Storage Facilities for commodities including hygroscopic and perishable items through network of 476 warehouses in India with its 5,658 trained personnel.
• Import and Export Warehousing facilities at its 36 Container Freight Stations in ports and inland stations.
• Bonded Warehousing facilities .
• Disinfestation services.
• Handling, Transportation & Storage of ISO Containers.^[5]

CWC enables the movement of imported and exportable goods to and from the port towns and has developed infrastructure of Container Freight Stations & Inland Clearance Depots throughout the country. It operates 36 CFSs/ ICDs where composite services for containerised movement of import/export cargo are provided. The Warehousing Corporation is empowered to acquire and build Warehouses for storage of Agricultural produce, seeds, fertilizers and other notified commodities and also to act as an agent of the Central Warehousing Corporation or of the Government, for the purpose of purchases, sales storage, distribution etc., of Agricultural Commodities in time of need.^[6] Though it has been criticised for lack of manpower and technologically equipped warehousing facility.^[7]

References

External links

• CWC India Official website