Many residents of the region want the Food and Civil Supplies Department to bring down the quantity of the parboiled rice that is being supplied at present. Accordingly, the department has recommended to the State government to consider this demand.
There are 2.04 lakh Below Poverty Line ration card holders in Dakshina Kannada.
The State government decided to provide these card holders since September last year with parboiled rice, which is largely consumed in the region. Major part of 41,153 kg of parboiled rice required for the card holders per month was procured from coastal areas in Andhra Pradesh. Only 50,000 kg of local parboiled rice is available that has been collected in the form of levy from the local rice mills.
Deputy Director of Food and Civil Supplies C.S. Sharanabasappa said white parboiled rice from the neighbouring State is hardly preferred. Unlike the local variety, the white parboiled rice had lesser shelf life. They are not in a position to provide local parboiled rice as there is not enough stock available. “We have recommended the government to provide white parboiled rice and the raw rice at a 50:50 ratio to cardholders,” he said.
