PDS card-holders getting 35 kg rice: CM Palaniswami

Refutes charges that they were not receiving their full share.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami | File Photo
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami | File Photo

CHENNAI: The State government is supplying up to 35 kg of rice to PDS card-holders and there is no complaint of reducing the quantity in fair price shops, said Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami.
Intervening in the discussion on demands for grants for the Food and Consumer Protection department in the Assembly on Monday, the CM refuted the charge from S Rajeshkumar of Congress that card-holders were not supplied 20 kg of free rice in PDS shops.

Palaniswami replied, “In Tamil Nadu, all rice card-holders are eligible to five kg of rice per head in a family. The government is offering up to 35 kg of rice under free rice scheme and under the Food Security Act.

Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Monday inaugurated seven godowns constructed at a total cost of `86.47  crore in various districts, through the video-conferencing facility at the secretariat. He also declared open new buildings for the School Education Department constructed at a total cost of `160.58 crore.

Palaniswami has also launched the website and mobile app for Mangalam Masala, the products of the Erode Agricultural Producers Co-Operative Marketing Society Ltd which has been marketing various value-added products using turmeric since 2015. With this mobile app, the public can buy products of this society online.

Besides, the value-added products of other societies located in the neighbouring areas can also be bought online using the app.

The Tamil Nadu government is supplying only quality rice through Public Distribution System (PDS) shops, said R Kamaraj, Minister for Food and Consumer Protection in the Assembly on Monday.
He was refuting the charge of Congress MLA Rajeshkumar that Public Distribution System card-holders were being supplied rice unfit for consumption, during the discussion on demands for grants for his department.

Kamaraj said, “The State government is supplying rice procured from farmers and from the Central allocation. Hence, there is no complaint about poor quality of rice and our PDS card-holders are, in fact, appreciating the rice quality.”

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