Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday said that the Centre has agreed to provide 50,000 tonne of rice at a subsidised rate of Rs 20 per kg to help Kerala that is rattled by the rain-related calamities.
The state has requested the three month's share of additional quantity rice to be delivered immediately.
The chief minister had called upon Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs & Food & Public Distribution and Textiles, Piyush Goyal.
The union minister has also agreed to consider Kerala's demand of increasing the share of Jaya and Surekha brands of rice from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, said the chief minister.
The Centre has reportedly agreed to consider the state's demands from November.
Vijayan said that the state has also pressed for revising the restrictions on adding more ration beneficiaries. Several patients, especially bedridden and those undergoing treatment for cancer and renal ailments are frequently enquiring about the same, the chief minister informed minister Goyal.
There are 1,54,80,040 existing consumers under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana and the Priority Household schemes as per the guidelines issued by National Food Security Act (NFSA).
The chief minister said that the Centre has agreed to consider making the revisions in the next census.
