The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Centre doing grave injustice to State: VS

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Monday, Aug 18, 2008
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Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Centre doing grave injustice to State: VS

Staff Reporter

Metro People’s Bazaar opened; distribution of free Onam kits begins

— Photo: C. Ratheesh Kumar

Onam gift: Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan greets a recipient of the free Onam kit at the inauguration of the Metro People’s Bazaar in the city on Sunday.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Centre’s denial of rice to APL (above the poverty line) cardholders in August comes at a time when about four lakh tonnes of rice is piled up in Food Corporation of India godowns across the State, Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan said here on Sunday.

The Centre’s attitude is that all this rice can rot, but Kerala will not get even one grain, he said.

The Chief Minister was speaking after inaugurating the Metro People’s Bazaar here on Sunday. Close on the heels of this denial, the Centre has sanctioned 10,000 tonnes of rice for APL cardholders as an Onam gift. This will amount to 2 kg for every cardholder. Would this be enough for a meal, Mr. Achuthanandan asked.

He said Kerala used to get 1,13,410 tonnes of rice from the Centre. Last year, this came down to about 21,000 tonnes. In April this year, this was again cut to 17,000 tonnes. The ostensible reason for this was that Kerala did not contribute enough rice to the Central pool. This came at a time when the State get only about one-fifth the rice it required. The Centre should desist from continuing this grave injustice.

“I had referred to this denial of rice in my Independence Day speech. The reaction to this from the Leader of the Opposition is ridiculous. He interpreted the demand not to allow the people here to starve, as an anti-Centre speech,” he said.

“The question was should such issues be raised in an Independence Day speech. On what other platform should it be said that people should not be allowed to starve?” Mr. Achuthanandan later inaugurated the distribution of free Onam kits to 20 lakh BPL (below the poverty line) families.

Food and Civil Supplies Minister C. Divakaran; Law Minister M. Vijayakumar; and Mayor C. Jayan Babu were present.

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