Food and Civil Supplies Minister G.R. Anil met Union Minister Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi on Monday, seeking the Centre’s intervention in addressing Kerala’s long-standing demands in the public distribution sector.
Mr. Anil highlighted the need for a considerable hike in rice and wheat quota to the State, permitting State-run agencies to procure foodgrains through the Open Market Sales Scheme (OMSS), and urgent steps to release paddy procurement dues. The Union Minister assured supportive measures to resolve such constraints.
During the deliberations, Mr. Anil underscored the rice supply challenges the State currently faced, particularly in the allocation of non-priority groups that constitute 57% of the population. Under the National Food Security Act, the State has been allocated 3.99 lakh metric tonnes as tide-over allocation that is distributed among such sections.
The monthly ceiling of 33,294 metric tonnes of foodgrains, which prevails by way of the allocation being received, has proven to be inadequate to distribute additional rice during festive seasons such as Onam and Christmas.
The Union Minister has agreed to upgrade the allocation to fix a quarterly ceiling as 33,294 metric tonnes to address the issue, Mr. Anil claimed.
The inability of Supplyco and other such agencies to purchase rice and wheat through the OMSS, thereby reducing their availability and increasing prices of such essential commodities, also figured in the discussions. Mr. Anil also broached the issue of paddy procurement dues amounting to ₹647 crore that the Centre owed the State.
He informed Mr. Joshi that Kerala maintained a healthy off-take rate of foodgrains of 82%. The monthly ration coverage among priority sections comprising Antyodaya Anna Yojana (yellow) and Priority Household (pink) ration card holders stood at 98% and 95% respectively.
