New Delhi, Jan 22 (IANS) The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) has asked the central government to ensure that the additional grain allocated to states is at the same price presently charged under the public distribution system.
The party, which has slammed the government for the spurt in food prices, has taken exception to the federal cabinet’s decision to charge a higher price on the additional 10 kg allocated to each family under the targeted public distribution system.

The politburo of the party said in comparison to allocations made for families above the poverty line, the price charged for the additional grain represented a steep hike of 77 percent in the case of rice and 85 percent in the case of wheat.

“Instead of restoring the 73 percent cut in the allocations of food grain to states made over a period of time to above poverty line sections, the central government is giving foodgrain at higher cost to the states,” said the politburo statement.

A meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Prices, presided over by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, had Thursday hiked the monthly allocation of wheat and rice through the public distribution system to help ease prices of these essential food grains.

“An ad-hoc allocation of 10 kg per family per month over and above the existing allocation of food grain, wheat or rice, will be made for two months — January and February — to cover all accepted card holders,” said a government statement.

The maximum selling price for wheat will be Rs.10.80 per kg and for rice Rs.15.37 per kg, the statement said, issued after a review of prices of essential commodities, including pulses, sugar, potatoes and onions.