Ration subsidy: CM hopeful of positive Central response

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, APRIL 19. The Chief Minister, Mr. E. K. Nayanar, has expressed the hope that the Centre would respond positively to the State's demand for restoration and wider targetting of ration subsidy.

Mr. Nayanar told presspersons on his arrival from New Delhi here this afternoon that the Prime Minister, Mr. A. B. Vajpayee, had told the all-party delegation that the Centre would respond positively to the State's demands. He hoped that the Centre would announce some relief to the State on the conclusion of the discussion on the Finance Bill in Parliament.

Mr. Nayanar, who was accompanied by the Food and Civil Supplies Minister, Mr. E. Chandrasekharan Nair, the Forest Minister, Mr. C. K. Nanu, and the RSP(B) acting secretary, Prof. A. V. Thamarakshan, said the Prime Minister gave the delegation a patient hearing. ``At the end of the discussion, I asked the Prime Minister what his response is and he told us it is positive,'' the Chief Minister said.

Mr. Chandrasekharan Nair explained that the three main demands raised by the State were restoration of ration subsidy, extension of subsidy to 42 per cent of the population who have been identified as belonging to Below Poverty Line (BPL) families and special treatment for Kerala in view of the fact that it is a food deficit State.

Mr. Chandrasekharan Nair said he had also called on the Union Food Minister and explained the State's arguments for restoration of subsidies. He had told the Food Minister that since there would not be too many takers for PDS foodgrains after withdrawal of subsidies, the Centre would end up wasting foodgrains worth Rs. 20,000 crores instead of saving Rs. 6,000 crores. ``He could not rebut our arguments,'' the Food Minister said.

Mr. Nayanar said Kerala had set an example for States like Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh by taking an all-party team to New Delhi to plead the State's case. The Centre, he alleged, was trying to wreck the State's statutory rationing system. He, however, expressed happiness about the support Kerala had received from all sides. The former Prime Ministers, Mr. I. K. Gujral and Mr. V. P. Singh, and leaders of various political parties had also endorsed the State's demand, he said.

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Section  : Regional
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