FOOD AT CHEAP PRICE

Rs 2 rice from Friday : Food minister

 

COOCH BEHAR, Feb. 24: State finance minister Mr Asim Dasgupta, yesterday announced that the government will dole out rice at Rs 2 a kilogram to below poverty line (BPL) families. Today, state food and supplies minister Mr Paresah Adhikary said that the scheme would commence on and from Friday.

According to the minister, 1.90-crore people enlisted in BPL list and 73.83-lakh people under Antyodaya Annapurna Yojana will be able to get the subsidised rice through the public distribution system from 27 February. All BPL people in this state are eligible to buy rice at Rs 2 a kilogram from the modified ration shops. Mr Adhikary said there was adequate stock of rice to run the newly introduced scheme.

Presently, BPL cardholders buy rice from MR shops at Rs 6.15 per kilogram. Under Antyodaya Annapurna Yojana the price of rice is Rs 3 per kilogram. From now on all these rice may be available at Rs 2 per kilogram.

When asked, the food and supply minister assured that like other schemes the new one will not be discontinued after a certain period. It will continue round the year.

Dr Fazle Haque, a senior Congress MLA, who is also a former minister, said, the proposed scheme is nothing but a pre-poll stunt. "It is impossible for me to guess how the government will extend so much subsidy to run a politically motivated scheme. On the otherhand, I doubt its feasibility too. It will be good if poor people get benefit out of this scheme. But, the government will have to collect the vast fund out of other people's pockets." Feeding people with people's fund - if it is not a political gimmick what else, Dr Haque questioned.