The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : Press Centre to change trade pact, MPs told

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Wednesday, Nov 11, 2009
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Kerala - Kochi

Press Centre to change trade pact, MPs told

Special Correspondent

Imports under FTA will hit farm sector: VS

Plea to intervene for restoration of grain quota
Divakaran says Food Security Act is harmful to State

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister V. S. Achuthanandan on Tuesday urged MPs from Kerala to put pressure on the Centre to remove clauses harmful to the State from the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

Addressing a conference of the Members of Parliament here, the Chief Minister said that the imports permitted under the agreement would hit the agriculture sector in the State.

Minister for Food and Civil Supplies C. Divakaran asked the MPs to strongly intervene for restoration of the State’s quota of grains for public distribution.

The Minister said that the APL ration card-holders were concerned about the hike in price of rice allocated for Onam season to Rs.13.88 a kg. It should be reduced to the APL rate of Rs.8.90 a kg. Mr. Divakaran said that the proposed Food Security Act was harmful to the State. If enacted as proposed, the APL category of ration card-holders would go out of the public distribution system.

Allocations to the BPL category would also be reduced from 35 kg to 25 kg per month per family.

The Minister also suggested that dairy farmers be included in the purview of the National Rural Employment Guarantee programme. Loans of dairy farmers should also be waived as in the case of farmers.

Subsidy for palmolein should be extended to coconut oil also, he said.

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