Union Food and Civil Supplies Minister Ram Vilas Paswan assured here on Monday, that despite warnings of less rainfall predicted by the Met Department, there will not be any shortage of foodgrains in the country.
"The government has enough stock of wheat and rice to meet foodgrain requirements of the country for a year and the country is fully prepared to meet a situation like drought in the event of less rainfall," Paswan said, addressing an even on food security.
Targeting UPA government for criticising the BJP-led NDA government on the issue of inflation, he said that the present government was in office for nearly 35 days and it is trying to improve the system.
"You are not expected to clear a lifetime of burdens in just a day. It will take time," Paswan said, adding even the Met Department has warned of less rainfall this season.
On the occasion, the minister also announced that out of the total allocation of foodgrains to Madhya Pradesh, the Centre would provide 75 per cent wheat and 25 per cent rice.
Paswan also praised the MP government led by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for implementing the Food Security Act despite the fact that more than 25 states in the country are unable to implement it.
He also lauded the MP state government for launching its one rupee per kilogram wheat, rice and salt scheme under the Mukhyamantri Annapurna Scheme.
Paswan said that in Madhya Pradesh out of a 7.5 crore population, 5.42 crore were included under the Food Security Scheme, while in Bihar and other states not even 10 per cent of people are covered under it.
He also said that he has already ordered provision of 50 lakh tonne of rice in the open market and added that at Chouhan's request, the Centre has raised the quota of rice to 25 per cent from 20, and reduced the quota of wheat from 80 to 75 per cent, since people in the state consume more rice.
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