Udupi Zilla Panchayat president C. Dinakar Babu on Wednesday directed officials from the Food and Civil Supplies Department to ensure supply of red boiled rice to beneficiaries of Anna Bhagya scheme as white boiled rice being supplied was of inferior quality.
Presiding over a monthly Karnataka Development Programme meeting at the zilla panchayat in Udupi, Mr. Babu said that there were many complaints about the quality of white boiled rice from the general public. Though the government had provided boiled rice as per public demand in the coastal region, the quality of the rice was not up to the mark.
Officials told the panchayat president that the rice was being procured from Andhra Pradesh as enough quantity of boiled rice from the State was not available for procurement. Mr. Babu asked the officials to write to the Food Corporation of India.
Responding to Agriculture and Industries Standing Committee chairman Sumith Shetty statement that supply of banned plastic was going on unabated in the district, Mr. Babu directed the Urban Development cell officials to confiscate plastic stock from wholesale traders in the district. Taluk panchayat executive officers have to do this in the rural areas, he added. Education and Health Standing Committee chairman Prathap Hegde Marali asked officials to chalk out a plan to supply affordable cloth bags as people opt for plastic bags in view of their cheap price.
Chief Executive Officer Naveen Bhat, Deputy Secretary Kiran Phadnekar, Chief Planning Officer Srinivas Rao and panchayat vice-president Sheela Shetty and others were present.
