Rice at Rs Two a kg and free TV sets possible: Karunanidhi

Chennai, Apr 05 (UNI) Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) President M Karunanidhi today kickstarted the campaign for the DMK led Democratic Progressive Alliance, by asserting that distribution of free television sets, rice at Rs two a kg and two acres of land to the landless poor were absolutely possible.

Addressing the DPA's maiden poll meeting here tonight, he said when the state government presented a budget for a sum of Rs 30,000 crore, distribution of rice at Rs two a kg, incurring an additional expenditure of Rs 543 crore and tv sets with Rs 540 crore was something not impossible.

Reacting to Chief Minister J Jayalaltithaa's remarks that the distribution of TVs was absolutely not possible as it would require Rs 15,000 crore, he said in Tamil Nadu, there were 156 lakh families, of which 53 lakh families were below poverty line.

Assuming that TVs have to be given to all these families, 56 lakh tv sets would be required and the same could be given at a total cost of Rs 530 crore at the rate of Rs 2000 per set. This could be implemented in two phases and the distribution could be completed in the first two years after DMK coming to power, he said.

Similarly, if rice has to be provided at Rs two per kg, the government would have to incur an annual additional expenditure of Rs 543 crore as it was presently supplying 30 crore kg of rice a year at the rate of Rs 3.50, incurring an annual food subsidy of about Rs 1500 crore, he said.

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