More Rice Quota For Mizoram

Aizawl, Mar 3 : Union minister of State for consumer affairs, Food and Public Distribution K V Thomas today assured to fulfill the Mizoram's request for additional quota of rice at lower cost.

"We have been allocating to Mizoram an additional 8000 tons of rice per month, at the request of the state government, at economic cost at the rate of Rs 21-22 per kilogram.

Now the state government's request is that we supply the rice at APL rate of Rs 11-12 instead of the economic cost which we will take as positive decision as possible," he told reporters here today before he left for New Delhi after a one night stay.

As the minimal rice production of Mizoram was far from meeting the state's requirement, the Central government has been supply two lakh tons of rice to Mizoram per year, against the actual entitlement of 91,644 tons of rice as per universal allocation of 35 kg per family per month.

In response to the state government's request, the Union Minister also agreed to allocate 3000 tons of rice at OMSS price for APL families and 5000 tons of rice at BPL prices for BPL families.

Regarding the state's request for allocation of rice for additional beneficiaries under the Annapurna Scheme, Mr Thomas said that since the said scheme was under the ministry of rural development, the request was being considered in consultation with the ministry.

The Union minister also announced that the Central government has sanctioned Rs 9.6 crore for construction of 17 godowns in Mizoram with a total capacity of 9,500 metric tons of rice. He also said that the public distribution system in Mizoram would be computerised soon.