Centre assures TN to supply rice procured from AP: Minister

Chennai, Aug 2 (UNI) The Centre has assured Tamil Nadu to supply rice procured from Andhra Pradesh for distribution at PDS outlets for the next one year, State Food Minister A V Velu told the Assembly today.

Replying to the debate on the demand for grants for his department, he said the state was at present receiving from the Food Corporation of India (FCI) rice procured from Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

Mr Velu said though both are of same quality and taste, there were complaints about the colour of the rice from Chhattisgarh.

On Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's advice, he met Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar in New Delhi recently and requested him to supply only Andhra rice to the state, the Minister added.

Mr Pawar had assured him that the FCI would supply rice from Andhra Pradesh for the next one year, he said and added that the State had also urged Chhattisgarh to go for modern rice mills to produce quality rice.

Mr Velu said the Centre had issued orders to enhance the allotment of kerosene to the State by 12,000 kl for distribution under PDS.

As the state needed an additional allotment of 14,000 kl of kerosene, the matter was taken up with Union Petroleum Minister Murli Deora and necessary steps were being taken for supply of adequate quantity of kerosene, he added.

He said following complaints of irregularities at paddy procurement centres, monitoring committees, comprising representatives of legislature parties and officials, would be constituted at taluk level by District Collectors.

Mr Velu said it was proposed to implement an e-governance project by networking the Civil Supplies Department, the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation and the Co-operatives.

A project report had been prepared for the purpose and the proposal to computerise the PDS at a cost of Rs 222.23 crore would be shortly forwarded to the Centre for consideration under the National e-governance Action Plan.

The Minister said steps would be taken to fill up the 129 vacancies in the office of the Commissioner of Civil Supplies and the subordinates offices in Chennai city.

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