The ripple effects of the storm caused over the rotting food grains will now benefit 70 lakh Below Poverty Line (BPL) card-holders in Maharashtra.
The State government has announced that the BPL quota has been increased from 35 kg to 44 kg per card a month for the period between September 2010 and February 2011.
“The Central government has sanctioned the decision and has made a provision of Rs. 125 crore for that,” Anil Deshmukh, State Minister for Food and Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection, told presspersons here on Monday.
Festival gesture
Mr. Deshmukh said that the decision was taken because of the festival season. “During the festive season, the BPL families need not buy foodgrains at a higher price from the open market,” the press release says.
Apart from the normal quota, the Central government has already issued 1,30,000 metric tonne extra wheat and 1,20,000 mt extra rice to the Maharashtra government.
The extra nine kg of foodgrains will be sold at the same cost, i. e., Rs.5 a kg for wheat and Rs. 6 a kg for rice.
Supply of foodgrains to the BPL families is a Centrally-sponsored scheme operating through the State Public Distribution System.
