Sharad Pawar

CHENNAI: Union Minister for Agriculture and Food Sharad Pawar said on Tuesday that the Centre had not yet applied its mind with regard to the demand for implementation of the scheme of distribution of rice at Rs. 2 a kg.

In a brief interaction with reporters shortly after meeting Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi at the State Secretariat, he said, "It is a policy matter and we have to take a decision at the Government of India level."

Asked to comment on Mr.Karunanidhi's remark that demands were being raised in other States to implement the scheme throughout the country, Mr.Pawar said, "It is a State subject and the decision has been taken essentially in Tamil Nadu."

Ensuring supply

However, he made it clear that since the State Government had taken the responsibility of subsidising the rice for the Rs. 2-a-kg scheme, the Centre had to ensure that there was no shortage of availability of rice.

Apart from taking care of availability, the Centre would also see that the rice supplied was of good quality, he said.

Describing his meeting with Mr.Karunanidhi as a "courtesy call," Mr.Pawar said two issues figured during the discussion: one related to the quality of rice supplied to the public distribution system (PDS) and the other to the allocation of additional quantity of wheat to the State.

State Food Minister E.V.Velu and Union Minister of State for Environment A.Raja had urged the Central Government to allot rice produced in Andhra Pradesh for PDS on the ground that the people of Tamil Nadu liked the variety. "We will accept this suggestion," he said.

They also requested him to sanction an additional quantity of 5,000 tonnes of wheat to the State. Though the country was facing a problem, "We will clear this also as the demand of the State Food Minister is very reasonable and legitimate," he said.

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