The Central government is offering to provide an additional 5 kg rice per person per month for the next three months to non-priority household (NPHH) cardholders in States and Union Territories.
But the offer carries a cost. For NPHH cardholders, the rice will be provided at ₹22 per kg, whereas for priority household (PHH) cardholders, the Centre is providing 5 kg rice per person per month, free of cost, for three months — April, May and June — under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY).
The offer has been made to Tamil Nadu as well, and the State is considering the proposal. There is a view within the State government that the cost is on the higher side. Food Minister R. Kamaraj, at a video-conference session last week with Union Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, reminded the latter of the Chief Minister’s request to the Centre for the provision of free rice to around 85.99 lakh NPHH cardholders (covering a population of around 3.07 crore).
As for the availability of rice in T.N., the Food Corporation of India’s godowns have a stock of 13.5 lakh tonnes, which can cater to the State’s requirements for four-and-a-half months, at the pre-COVID-19 level of three lakh tonnes a month. Since the imposition of the lockdown, T.N. has received around 2.6 lakh tonnes of grains by train from various States, including Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. Besides, the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation has its own stock.
Free rice component
Pointing out that the State government had lifted about 2.2 lakh tonnes of rice so far this month, R.D. Nazeem, Executive Director (South), Food Corporation of India, said the free rice component under the PMGKAY entailed around 1.78 lakh tonnes a month for Tamil Nadu. As for the latest offer, the State can get around 1.5 lakh tonnes.
The Union government has also launched a scheme of supplying rice or wheat to registered charitable institutions or non-governmental organisations that are engaged in relief operations like providing cooked meals to the needy, including migrant labourers and other vulnerable groups. The cost of rice will be ₹22 per kg and wheat, ₹21 per kg.