5 million tonnes of additional foodgrains for BPL families

To make storage space available for the fresh rabi harvest, the Union government has decided to allocate an additional 5 million tonnes of wheat and rice to the Below Poverty Line (BPL) population under the public distribution system (PDS).

The Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM), headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, cleared the Food Ministry's proposal at a meeting on Monday.

The additional foodgrains will be made available from June 1 over six months, informed sources said.

The meeting also decided to extend subsidised edible oil through the PDS till September.

The EGoM, however, decided to hold further consultations on the proposed national Food Security Bill.