Orissa to provide rice at Rs 2 per kg

Bhubaneswar, July 7 (UNI) The Orissa government today decided to provide rice at a rate of Rs two per kilogram from next month to cushion people, living Below Poverty Line (BPL), from the rising prices of essential commodities.

This was decided at a high level meeting headed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik here. In addition to 50 lakh BPL families, five lakh families living Above Poverty Line(APL)in the KBK region would benefit from the scheme, official sources said.

As per the decision, every BPL as well as APL family in the KBK region would get 25 kg of rice through the Public Distribution System (PDS) per month from August 1.

The scheme could also be availed by the tribal hostels and Anatodaya beneficiaries, official sources said adding that the project would cost Rs 800 crore to the state exchequer per annum.

Finance Minister P C Ghadhei and Revenue Minister Manmohan Samal were among others present at the meeting.

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