Insect-infested rice given to people, alleges Cong

Expessbuzz, June 18, 2009

BHUBANESWAR: Post elections, the politics over rice refuses to die down with the topic being raised in the well of the House by the Congress here on Wednesday.

Congress displayed in the Assembly the samples of substandard rice allegedly being distributed among the poor under the Rs 2-a-kg rice scheme in Orissa’s backward Kalahandi-Balangir-Koraput (KBK) region.

The insect-infested rice was brought to the Assembly by Leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh during a debate on the rice scheme through an adjournment motion.

Singh said he brought the rice from Pitamber Rana of Mandel village under Narla block in Kalahandi district. Singh proposed that MLAs and ministers should be served this rice at the lunch to be hosted by the Speaker at the end of the session so that they can experience the plight of the poor and the manner in which the Naveen Patnaik government has hoodwinked the people.

Minister of State for Food and Consumer Welfare Sarada Prasad Nayak, however, denied the charge and maintained that at no place were people being given such poor quality rice. Instead of raising such hue and cry, Singh should have gone to the stock point where verification is done on the 25th of every month, he said.

While Congress members accused the government of misleading people in the name of cheap rice, BJD members described the scheme as historic and pro-poor. Making a statement, the Minister said the State Government provided Rs 847.65 crore for the rice scheme for the poor people while the previous Congress government was unable to even pay salaries to employees nine years ago.

While 37,94,151 BPL families are being provided with cheap rice as many as 5,80,905 APL families in KBK region also get benefit under the scheme, he said.

The State Government is supplying rice under the scheme on the 5th, 6th, 7th 20th, 21st and 22nd of every month, the Minister said, adding all the district collectors were directed to monitor the distribution of rice.

Rejecting the Opposition charge that only 50 per cent of beneficiaries avail Rs 2-a-kg rice, the Minister claimed that 91.5 per cent of people lifted their quota in May and June.

While Santosh Singh Saluja of Congress alleged that not all APL families are getting rice under the scheme in the KBK region, his party colleague Mamata Madhi said the poor people are mortgaging their cards with the middlemen in the villages leading to blackmarketing of the rice.