The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Divakaran’s office says he was misquoted

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Sunday, Dec 09, 2007
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Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Divakaran’s office says he was misquoted

Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Food Minister C. Divakaran’s office said here on Saturday that he was misquoted on his statement regarding the need to enhance production of eggs and milk.

An official press release quoted the Food Minister’s office as saying that the he had only appealed to dairy and poultry farmers to raise milk and egg production so that the State’s dependence on milk and eggs produced outside Kerala could be minimised.

The Minister had made the appeal in the context of the import of milk, chicken and eggs at a cost of Rs.1,900 crore annually, the press release said.

The Minister’s office said efforts were on to bring down the price of rice in the open market.

The Government had acted swiftly to contain the increase in rice price by selling rice at Rs.13.50 and Rs.14 a kilo through 2,500 Supplyco outlets.

In three districts, Supplyco opened rice shops. Five Mobile Maveli Stores would begin operations in the coastal belt and in colonies to make rice available at reasonable prices to the poor.

Officials of the Civil Supplies Department have also taken steps to bring rice from Andhra Pradesh.

The Minister’s office explained that Mr. Divakaran had only stated these facts and underscored the need to popularise dairy farming among school children, cultivation of fodder grass under aegis of select panchayats with State government assistance and said it was unfortunate that some of his statements were taken out of context and misinterpreted.

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