The State government will provide ragi at Re. 1 a kg to below the poverty line (BPL) families in Hassan, Mysore and Mandya districts under the public distribution system (PDS).
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will launch the programme in Nanjangud, Mysore district, on March 1.
Minister of State for Food and Civil Supplies Dinesh Gundu Rao told presspersons here on Tuesday that the department had procured 10,000 tonnes of ragi which would suffice to meet the requirement till June. Ragi was procured by offering minimum support price of Rs. 18 a kg and by floating tenders (Rs. 19.28 a kg).
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As the total requirement was 20,325 tonnes a month, the department would procure the remaining quantity in the next season. BPL families with three members or more would get 22 kg rice, 6 kg wheat and 2 kg ragi every month. “While families with two members will get 15 kg rice, 4 kg wheat and 1 kg ragi, one-member BPL card holder will be entitled to 7 kg of rice, 2 kg wheat and 1 kg ragi. It is not mandatory for BPL families to take ragi. They can demand rice if they want,” the Minister said.
A similar programme to provide jowar under PDS would be launched on a pilot basis in north Karnataka districts. If successful, the programme would be extended to other districts. The department had commenced jowar procurement, he said.
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Mr. Dinesh Gundu Rao said the government had stopped collecting levy rice as there was no requirement. The Union government had agreed to supply rice in place of wheat and there was adequate stock to meet the PDS demand. “Henceforth rice need not be procured from Chhattisgarh,” he said.
To a question on increasing wages of labourers, Mr. Dinesh Gundu Rao said the government had in-principle agreed for increasing the wages. “Our intention is to reach the benefits directly to them, and the issue will be sorted out shortly,” he said.