Bengal may supply rice to 3 states... CM's decision soon

Kolkata: If Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee gives her go-ahead, then Bengal will soon start supplying "boiled rice" to three states — Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Jharkhand. The Food Corporation of India (FCI) has written to the state Food & Supplies Department, seeking delivery of boiled rice for Tamilnadu, Kerala and Jharkhand. The letter by FCI Chairman & Managing Director Yogendra Tripathi has been addressed to state Principal Secretary (Food & Supplies) Manoj Agarwal.

"We will soon forward this letter to our Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her final approval. Our production of paddy is in excess of the requirement of the people in the state and we are now in a position to send 8 lakh metric tonnes of rice to these three states," state Food & Supplies Minister Jyotipriya Mallick said at a programme to mark two years of the Khadya Sathi project.

Mallick said that the State Government has already supplied 57,600 metric tonnes of rice to FCI for running the mid-day meal and ICDS scheme across the country. " FCI has not been able to arrange for rice for the mid-day meal and ICDS scheme though it is supposed to deliver 70 percent of rice for the schemes. We had chipped in with 57,600 metric tonnes and will be supplying 42,000 metric tonnes more," the minister said.

He expressed disappointment over the role of FCI in procuring rice from rice mills across the state. "The role of FCI has not been positive. They are demanding Rs 1,000 per truck from the rice mill owners which is not desirable. The mill owners are declining to send their procurement of rice to FCI. I have held numerous meetings with the brass of FCI but things have changed little," he added.

The state Food department has urged the District Magistrate to deploy officers for monitoring the activities of the FCI godowns when truck loads of rice reach them. The minister did not rule out a conspiracy on the part of the Centre behind FCI's dilly-dallying approach in the wake of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee being vocal about the 'anti people' decisions of the Union Government.

It may be mentioned that the Khadya Sathi scheme, a brainchild of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee that was launched exactly two years ago, has been able to bring in 8.5 crore people of the state under this scheme which ensures rice at Rs 2 per kg. The state spends a whopping Rs 4,000 crore a year from its own Exchequer for this scheme.

The progamme at Khadya Bhavan on Saturday was graced by state Panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee, state Agricultural Marketing minister Tapan Dasgupta, state Agriculture Minister Ashish Banerjee. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sent her address which was read out at the progamme. She stated that 100 per cent digistisation of ration cards of beneficiaries have already been achieved under this scheme. "From Jangalmahal to the tea gardens, from Singur to Aila affected areas, all across the state, lakhs and lakhs of families are benefitted under the scheme and do not have to worry about food now," said Banerjee.