The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Rice offtake may increase substantially

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Apr 24, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Rice offtake may increase substantially

S. Vydhianathan

AIADMK scheme will double subsidy to Rs. 2,400 crore a year

CHENNAI: Be it All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary Jayalalithaa's promise of 10 kg of free rice for all family cardholders or Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president M. Karunanidhi's promise of rice at Rs. 2-a-kg, one thing is certain. It will result in steep increase in the off-take at public distribution system shops, and in subsidy.

While the AIADMK's scheme will double the subsidy from Rs. 1,200 crore to Rs. 2,400 crore a year, the DMK's scheme will cost the exchequer another Rs. 1,000 crore, official sources say.

The present monthly off-take of 2.5 lakh tonnes will jump to 3-3.25 lakh tonnes.

According to a survey conducted recently by the Centre, the average per capita consumption per month is 7 kg in urban areas and 9 kg in rural areas. In Tamil Nadu, it is 8 kg. As the average size of a family is five, the total requirement of a family is 40 kg, whereas the Government is supplying only 20 kg to a family.

At present a substantial number of cardholders, especially the poor in rural and semi-urban areas, do not buy the entire quota of 20 kg, as they lack purchasing power. This section will go in for the entire quota, thanks to the 10 kg free rice scheme or the Rs. 2-a-kg scheme.

The sources, however, rule out any shortage: the State is yet to lift the entire quota allotted from the Central pool. It is entitled to a monthly allotment of 1.18 lakh tonnes under the below the poverty line (BPL) category, 50,000 tonnes under the AAY and 3.05 lakh tonnes under the APL category. At present, there are 185 lakh ration cards. Of these, 174 lakh cards are rice cards, while the rest are either sugar or "no ration" cards.

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