The Union Government has permitted distribution of boiled rice under the Public Distribution System (PDS) in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, according to Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shobha Karandlaje.
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In a January 6 letter to Ms. Karandlaje, Union Minister for Food and Public Distributions Piyush Goyal said: “...Permission to procure Mo4, and local paddy varieties like Kaje, Jaya, Jyothi, Panchamukhi, Sayadri, Uma grown in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada for KMS 2021-22 has already been accorded by the Union government on December 31, 2021.”
Earlier on November 23, 2021, Ms. Karandlaje wrote to the Minister that local paddy varieties of coastal belt should be procured under ‘Decentralised Procurement and Consumption Scheme’ and their rice should be distributed to the beneficiaries of Priority Household and Antyodaya Annya Yojana of the coastal districts including Uttara Kannada.
Meanwhile, Social Welfare Minister Kota Srinivas Poojary said in a statement on Saturday: “Based on the request from the people of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts, the State Government had recommended to the Union Government to distribute boiled rice under PDS.
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Dakshina Kannada Member of Parliament Nalin Kumar Kateel and Udupi-Chikkamagaluru Member of Parliament Shobha Karandlaje too had recommended the same.”
The Minister said that 1 lakh quintals rice per month is required for distribution under PDS in the two districts. The district administrations will take steps for distributing the boiled rice at the earliest.A majority of people of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts consumed boiled rice or parboiled rice.