WB: UPA rejects Didi's request for additional foodgrain

Kolkata, Apr 7: The UPA government has ruled out the West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee's request for allotting additional foodgrain for the backward villages, Maoist-affected districts and other remote areas in West Bengal.

The Union Ministry of consumer affairs and public distribution has refused the requisition for extra rice and wheat for the below the poverty line (BPL) people as Mamata decided to distribute it among them.

"We had sent a requisition for 17,78,592 tonnes of rice and 26,37,636 tonnes of wheat as additional allocation for 2012-13. But the Centre has refused to allot the additional foodgrain," said Jyotipriyo Mallik, West Bengal food and supplies department minister.

"Whatever foodstock we have, we can distribute it among the BPL category for, at the most, another five-six months," he added.

The West Bengal receives about 79,707 tonnes of rice and 49,758 tonnes of wheat per month for distributing it among the BPL people, said sources.

OneIndia News