The Kerala Cabinet decided to initiate a number of market intervention measures to check price rise on Wednesday.
Briefing the media, Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan said the government would lift all the rice allocated by the Centre at increased price for the APL (above the poverty line) ration card holders and distribute it at Rs. 13 a kg. Thus the government would be providing a subsidy of Rs. 4 on each kg of rice for the APL category.
The State Civil Supplies Corporation would start ten ‘Maveli hotels’ in each district by December 15. These hotels would provide noon meals at a subsidised rate of Rs. 10 to Rs. 15 a meal. Money for running of the hotels would be granted as part of the budget allocation for market intervention.
The Chief Minister said that the Corporation’s sales outlets would provide sugar at a subsidised rate of Rs. 25 a kg against the open market price of Rs. 36 a kg. The Corporation would also distribute the wheat being supplied by the Centre either as grains or in the form of powdered ‘atta’.
Mr. Achuthanandan also announced that paddy procurement would be intensified and extended to all districts.
