Date:28/03/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/03/28/stories/2008032850210100.htm

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Centre cuts PDS rice quota again

Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Central government has cut the quota of Public Distribution System (PDS) rice to Kerala, ignoring demands for more by the State government and Members of Parliament from the State.

Food and Civil Supplies Minister C. Divakaran told presspersons here on Thursday that the allocation to the State would come down by more than 4,000 tonnes in April. This was when the State was demanding special allocations in view of paddy loss in heavy rain and increase in prices of rice.

The Minister recalled that the State quota of rice was 1.13 lakh tonnes in March 2007. With the Centre reducing the allocations by 86 per cent in two instalments, the State would now be getting only 17,000 tonnes. As a result, families living below the poverty line, who were eligible for 35 kg of grains a month, would now get less than 5 kg of grains only. The monthly availability of rice would be only 3.5 kg a family.

The Corporation will open four hypermarkets in the State.