Tamil Nadu - Chennai

No change in PDS rice supply system: Velu

CHENNAI: There is no change in the system supplying 20 kg rice each to ration card holders and the government has made arrangements for attending to complaints within 24 hours of receiving them, Food and Civil Supplies Minister E.V.Velu told the Assembly on Friday.

Intervening in the debate on the budget, Mr. Velu, who reacted to observations of Opposition members, including T. Ramasamy (Communist Party of India), K.A. Sengottaiyan (All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) and G. K. Mani (Pattali Makkal Katchi), said that if a family had three persons, 12 kg of rice was supplied. For families having more than three persons, the quota was 20 kg.

The government had issued orders that card holders should be allowed to decide on the method of purchase.

At a time, if they wanted to buy 5 or 10 kg of rice, they should be allowed to do so.

On action against those involved in rice smuggling, Mr. Velu said the administration, in the last one month, had nabbed eight persons.

The monitoring system of movement of vehicles carrying rice had been strengthened.

The Food Minister said the Centre had not reduced the quantity of rice allotted to the State.

N. Nanmaran (CPI-Marxist) said the absence of announcements in the budget with regard to opening of new industries in and around Madurai had caused disappointment among certain sections of people.

Recalling that the Chief Minister had announced in the previous Assembly session that the date for laying the foundation stone for an information technology park in Madurai would be announced shortly, he wanted the early determination of the date.

There should be follow-up to the announcement in the Governor’s address early in the year regarding the establishment of the Indian Institute of Technology at Madurai.

K. Arumugam (Pattali Makkal Katchi) called for the revival of the Vayalur check-dam project.

A hostel for students of Chengalpattu Law College should be built.

D. Ravikumar (Viduthalai Chiruthaigal) said the coverage of agricultural insurance schemes in the State was not even 10 per cent of what it was in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra.

P.S. Vijayakumar (Congress) wanted early construction of the memorial for actor Sivaji Ganesan.

To AIADMK member M. Chandrakasi’s comment on desalination projects for Chennai, Local Administration Minister M.K. Stalin said one project, which had remained in the limbo during the previous AIADMK regime, was revived after the present regime took over. It would be commissioned in four-five months.

As for the Central project, the latest Union Budget had set apart Rs. 300 crore for another plant and work would be taken up shortly.

Oscar C. Nigli (nominated) urged the government to retain the identity of Anglo-Indian, Matriculation and State Boards, while implementing the scheme of uniform standard of education.

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