VIJAYAWADA: Civil Supplies Minister Kodali Sri Venkateswara Rao (Nani) said the 21.16 crore metric tonne rice scheduled to be distributed to the beneficiaries in December will now be distributed next month due to insufficient stock availability with Andhra Pradesh Civil Supplies Corporation. The rice distribution will be done under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY).
In a press statement issued here on Tuesday, Venkateswara Rao said the Centre should extend the scheme from December 2021 to March 2022 and distribute 5 kg of rice free of cost to each beneficiary of the National Food Security Scheme (NFSS). The Centre had allotted 1,34,110.515 metric tonnes of rice per month to the 89 lakh NFSS beneficiaries.
However, he explained that the government needs to distribute 2,11,592,890 metric tonnes of rice to 144 lakh rice cardholders in the State. “Therefore, a letter was written to the Centre on December 1 requesting 5,36,442,040 MT of rice be distributed free of cost to NFSS beneficiaries under PMGKY scheme and 3,27,120 MT rice be released to the State at the fixed price under the Open Market Sale Scheme. So far, rice has not been released. So, 2,11,592,890 MT rice, which was to be distributed in December would be distributed in January.”