Special Correspondent
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Centre has made a special allotment of 21,000 metric tonnes of rice to Kerala for distribution through the ration shops during Onam.
It will be available in all ration shops at the above poverty line (APL) price of Rs.8.90 per kg. It is for the first time that the State is getting a special quota of rice for distribution through the ration shops during the Onam period.
It is on the basis of the talks which Food and Civil Supplies Minister C. Divakaran held with Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar during his visit to Delhi that the special allotment had been made. A memorandum seeking additional rice was also submitted later.
The Centre had last week sanctioned 3,600 MT of additional sugar for Onam. It had also sanctioned in advance the sugar for August and September. It consisted of 4,113 MT of rice per month. All the card holders irrespective of APL and BPL considerations would be given 1 kg of additional sugar in connection with Onam.
