TN to procure 6 lakh tonnes of rice from NCCF, other states to meet ration demands

Chennai, June 24 (BPNS)

Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC) is negotiating with National Cooperative Consumer Federation (NCCF) and other states like Andhra Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Telengana to procure 6 lakh tonnes of rice to be distributed among the ration card holders.

It may be noted that Tamil Nadu is allocated 2.97 lakh tonnes of rice for the public distribution system under the National Food Security Act but it needs and additional 50,000 tonnes per month as it has 2.2 lakh ration card holders to whom rice has to be distributed.

The Food Corporation of India (FCI) had taken a position that it will not be providing more food grains to states under its Open Market Sales Scheme(OMSS).

Sources in the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC) told BPNS that after the FCI reiterated its position that it will not supplying more food grains to states other than the allocated quota, they have to knock the doors of other states and NCCF. However the rates of rice supplied from FCI under Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS) was only Rs 34 per kg while that of the NCCF will be around Rs 35.95 which is Rs 1.95 higher per kilogram compared to the FCI scheme.

While NCCF is willing to supply rice at the previous year’s rate of Rs 35.45, the cooperative federation insisted that it would delivery the rice only to the respective rail heads in the district headquarters. This will lead to an increase of 0.50 rupees per kilogram for transportation leading to rice costing Rs 35.95 comparable to the FCI rates.

Another proposal with the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC) is to retain the paddy procured from the farmers of the state instead of supplying it in the central pool.

While Tamil Nadu has at present, 5.4 lakh tonnes of rice in its godowns and the department is planning earlier to prevent any shortage.