Boiled rice to be supplied through ration shops in coastal districts from Jan. 1

Bengaluru

The State government on Thursday announced the supply of boiled rice through the public distribution system in three coastal districts from January 1 with each family getting a monthly quota of 5 kg.

The decision to procure boiled rice variety under the minimum support price (MSP) system will cost the exchequer ₹132 crore since the State government will pay additional ₹500 per quintal of paddy above the fixed MSP of ₹2,040 per quintal.

“The government has decided to supply boiled rice in Udupi, Dakshin Kannada, and Uttara Kannada through the PDS,” Social Welfare Minister Kota Srinivas Poojary told reporters here. He pointed out that though there had been a demand from the people of the coastal districts for the supply of boiled rice, it had not been possible in the past to implement it. Currently, the Minister said, the Centre was offering an MSP of ₹2,040 for a quintal of paddy, and that the State government had announced the MSP for four boiled rice paddy varieties.

“The target is to procure 13 lakh quintal of paddy and an estimated 8.5 lakh quintal could be procured. Since the paddy cannot be procured with the current MSP, the Chief Minister has agreed to pay an additional ₹500 a quintal. This will cost an additional burden of ₹132 crore on the exchequer,” he said. He added that the paddy procured will be locally processed and supplied through the PDS.