AP Agri Minister urges Centre to provide millets through PDS

Hyderabad, May 26 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Agriculture Minister N Raghuveera Reddy today urged the Centre to provide millets like Ragi, Kodo, Kangni, Kutki and Cheena through the Public Distribution System (PDS) for the benefit of poor people.

Talking to newspersons on the sidelines of the National Conference of Ministers of Agriculture and Horticulture here, he stressed the need to provide these millets through the PDS like rice and wheat.

However, he said, the Centre was of the view that the state governments could provide subsidy on these food products on their own.

Regarding the Centre's refusal to allocate more rice for the state government's Rs two a kg rice scheme, he said the state could meet the demand on its own.

Out of the 44 lakh tonnes of rice being supplied on subsidy, the Centre's share was only 30 per cent, he added.

UNI BR VA DS 2003