Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Saturday gave a detailed account of the unresolved issues in the Food Security Bill pertaining to Tamil Nadu, despite which it was passed in the Lok Sabha with DMK’s support.
In a statement here, the Chief Minister said due to her consistent pressure, the Centre had amended the Food Security Bill to ensure that the quantum of PDS rice to Tamil Nadu would not be reduced. Of the 36.78 lakh metric tonnes of PDS rice to be allocated for Tamil Nadu, 21.88 lakh metric tonnes would be given at Rs 3 per kg. However, the Centre did not give any assurance on providing the rest of 14.90 metric tonnes at `3 per kg.
When AIADMK parliamentary party leader M Thambidurai flagged it in the LS, Union Food Minister K V Thomas assured that 14.90 lakh metric tonnes of rice would be provided at Rs 8.30 per kg and wheat at Rs 6.10 per kg and that the amendment to this effect would happen at the time of passage of the Bill. But the amendment was not introduced. “Without considering these shortcomings in the Bill, the DMK chief had supported it,” Jayalalithaa charged.