PDS hike under consideration: Ministerial panel
September 2nd, 2010 - 10:20 pm ICT by IANS
New Delhi, Sep 2 (IANS) Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar Thursday said the government is considering a hike in the quantity of foodgrains under the Public Distribution System along with an upgradation in the number of eligible Below Poverty Line (BPL) families.
“The government is considering an overall increase in PDS including an upgradation in the number of eligible BPL families,” Pawar told reporters here after a meeting of the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) on food.
Pawar also said the EGoM decided to release an additional 25 lakh tonnes of wheat and rice at BPL price to the states in the coming six months.
The EGoM on Food headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee discussed how to implement the Supreme Court order to distribute the foodgrains stocked in government warehouses to the poor for free instead of letting these rot.
The Supreme Court Aug 12 had asked the central government to consider the free supply of food grains to the poor instead of letting it rot in Food Corporation of India (FCI) warehouses.
The Supreme Court further reminded Pawar Tuesday that its ruling on rotting foodgrains was an “order” and not a “suggestion”, as interpreted by the minister.
- Govt. to give rotten food grains to poor at BPL price - Sep 02, 2010
- Empowered Ministers to discuss apex court order on foodgrains - Sep 02, 2010
- Distribute stored foodgrain to flood-affected, Gadkari urges PM - Sep 25, 2010
- BJP stand on foodgrains vindicated, says Gadkari - Aug 31, 2010
- New warehouses being set up for storing foodgrains: Pawar - Aug 13, 2010
- Centre to consider lifting ban on sugar futures : Pawar - Aug 19, 2010
- Govt. cannot follow SC's direction on foodgrain distribution: Pawar - Aug 19, 2010
- Rights group slams Food Security Bill draft in letter to PM - Aug 02, 2011
- Supreme Court says free distribution of foodgrains an order, not a suggestion - Aug 31, 2010
- Government's reply sought on abolishing poverty line (Lead) - Jul 27, 2010
- Give surplus foodgrain free to poor: Apex court (Lead) - Aug 12, 2010
- Not possible to give free foodgrains to all poor: Manmohan Singh - Sep 06, 2010
- Distributing free foodgrain not practical: PM - Sep 06, 2010
- Govt. prepares comprehensive plan for construction of godowns: Pawar - Aug 13, 2010
- Distribute rotting foodgrains to poor: Gadkari - Sep 01, 2010
Tags: agriculture minister, central government, finance minister, food corporation of india, food corporation of india fci, food grains, foodgrains, government warehouses, lakh, ministerial panel, New Delhi, poverty line, pranab mukherjee, public distribution system, sharad pawar, six months, supreme court, tonnes, upgradation, wheat