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Foodgrain quota: Kerala for reversal of Centre's decision

Special Correspondent

Chandy, Chennithala meet Manmohan, Sonia and Pawar

NEW DELHI: Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Ramesh Chennithala on Tuesday demanded rollback of the Cabinet decision to reduce the quantum of foodgrains allocated per household through the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS).

The two leaders met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Monday in this regard.

Briefing mediapersons later, Mr. Chandy said more than the increase in the price of foodgrains allocated to above poverty line (APL) families through the TPDS, it was the cut in allocation of foodgrains to below poverty line (BPL) families that would severely affect the State.

The Cabinet last Friday had cut the quantum of foodgrains distributed to BPL families through the TPDS from 35 kg to 30 kg a month without making any change in the price. In the case of foodgrains for APL families, the Cabinet cleared a proposal to increase the price and reduce the quantum. The decision on APL, according to Mr. Chandy, would not impact the State too much since the offtake was only two per cent.

During the day, Mr. Chandy also met Union Urban Development Minister S. Jaipal Reddy and secured from him an assurance of Central funding for developing infrastructure in the Guruvayur area under the Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small & Medium Cities. This assurance was given by Mr. Reddy when the Chief Minister requested him to include Guruvayur among the pilgrim towns to be provided special assistance under the National Urban Renewal Mission.

Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi are the only two cities of the State to be included in the Mission on the premise that they alone met the population parameters laid down as an eligibility condition for inclusion. Though Guruvayur does not meet the population parameters, it attracts people in by virtue of being a pilgrim centre. Mr. Reddy accepted the State Government's plea and offered help under UIDSSMC as inclusion of Guruvayur in the NURM would be time-consuming. Central aid would be provided to the State under UIDSSMC as soon as the State Government submitted a detailed project report.

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