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PDS to supply rice at Re. 1 a kg
People-friendly: Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi addressing a Cabinet meeting at the Secretariat in Chennai on Saturday.
CHENNAI: Rice distributed through Public Distribution System (PDS) will be available for Re. 1 a kg from September 15 to mark the birth centenary of former chief minister C.N. Annadurai. The current rate is Rs. 2 a kg.
The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting on Saturday following a resolution adopted at the DMK’s district secretaries meeting calling upon the State government to introduce such a scheme on the lines of the short-lived ‘padi arisi thittam’of Annadurai in 1967.
Talking to the reporters after the meeting, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi said the new announcement would entail a cost of Rs. 400 crore and would cover 1.86 crore cardholders.
Asked whether he would invite the Tatas to launch the Nano car project in Tamil Nadu in view of the difficulties faced by the company in West Bengal, Mr. Karunanidhi said such a situation did not arise since works were going on in that State for the project. “It will be inappropriate to invite the company to Tamil Nadu now. Tatas also have not approached us for permission,” he said.
Mr. Karunanidhi said there was no point in approaching the Centre for additional power supply to Tamil Nadu since power shortage was prevalent all over the country.
“It is not as if it has additional power and is denying it to us. You cannot say that Tamil Nadu is facing power crisis this year. The situation was no different last year,” he added.
Asked about Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram’s recent remarks that the DMK and the PMK could come together again, the Chief Minister said it was his opinion. “I did not say anything to him in this regard,” he said.
On the induction of former AIADMK minister T.M. Selvaganapathy, who was involved in a corruption case, into the DMK, he quipped: “What to do? Tomorrow even Jayalalithaa may be inducted.”
Stating that all steps were being taken to tackle the petrol and diesel crisis, he said such crises were inevitable under all governments and administrations.
Asked about the assumption that the Left parties would consider an alliance with the AIADMK if the party was firm on secularism, Mr. Karunanidhi said the AIADMK’s commitment to secularism had been exemplified by the anti-conversion law and despatch of AIADMK men to take part in kar seva.
The district secretaries meeting asked the State government to continue the distribution of essential commodities such as dhal, black gram and cooking oil through the PDS.
Another resolution decided to distribute Rs. 10 lakh each to the families of C.N.A. Parimalam and C.N.A. Elangovan, C.N.A. Gowthaman and C.N.A. Babu, the adopted sons of C.N.Annadurai on his birth centenary.
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