(rptg, correcting name in lead para)

New Delhi, Jan 23 (UNI) The proposed National Food Research Institute, coming up at Konni in Kerala, will start functioning within the next six months, state Food and Civil Supplies Minister C rpt C Divakaran said here today.

Talking to UNI, he said he had held discussions with Union Food Processing Minister Subodh Kant Sahay yesterday in connection with the project, which also includes a "Food Park." Mr Divakaran said the Centre had sanctioned Rs 20 crore for the Food Research Institute and the Food Park. Out of this, a sum of Rs five crore would be released immediately.

He said the state government had already acquired 35 acres of land for the project in Konni.

The Food Research Institute would conduct certificate, diploma, degree and post-graduate courses. The Food Park would have facilities for food processing.

Mr Divakaran presented a memorandum to agriculture Food and civil supplies Minister Sharad Pawar seeking his personal intervention to restore the state's original wheat quota and remove the disparities in the list of the state and the centre with regard to the BPL and APL families.

He said he brought to the attention of Mr Pawar the difficulties being experienced by the state to retain the PDS system under the impact of the economic reforms and liberalisation.

In this context, he cited the fact that Kerala was a consumer state with its dependence on other states for 80 per cent of the requirements of essential commodities.

Mr Divakaran complained to the minster that the state had been denied its due share of rice, wheat, kerosene and sugar for distribution through its PDS outlets.

On the Congress-led Opposition agitation in Kerala over price rise, the minister said he had requested the Centre to replace the Essential Commodities Act with an effective legislation to allow the state government to make intervention to rein in the prices of commodities in the open market.

The minister called on Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Murli Deora and apprised him of the need to increase the state's kerosene quota for PDS system and to improve the LPG availability.

Mr Divakaran said he had also paid a courtesy visit to Defence Minister A K Antony and Home Minister Shivraj Patil.

UNI