Rosaiah Hails New Food Proposal

Chief Minister K Rosaiah, on Sunday, hailed the proposal of the Sonia Gandhi - led National Advisory Council (NAC) regarding food security as magnanimous, pro-poor and historical.

Rosaiah congratulated NAC Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Members M S Swaminathan and others for what he called a revolutionary decision to help the people of the country, particularly the poor and low income group.

"For the first time since Independence, the UPA Government alone could undertake such massive welfare program to directly benefit the poor and in provide them food security" he said.

Rosaiah said that the UPA Government, under the able leadership of Sonia Gandhi and stewardship of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, has brought in yet another historic welfare scheme benefiting 75% of the country's population.

The proposal seeks to provide people with 35 kg of rice at Rs. 3 a kg and millets at Re. 1 per kg, and Rs. 2 a kg for wheat. It will cover 75% of the country's population in the first phase. Even the households Above Poverty Line will get 20 kg of food grains per month at 50% of the prevailing Minimum Support Price.

The CM recalled that it was Sonia Gandhi who had heralded first UPA government's flagship scheme, NREGP, which he said changed the very face of rural India and ensured poor people the much-needed job, wages and development simultaneously.

He said that Andhra Pradesh has also been a successful role model in the implementation of the MNERGS, and that it had introduced innovative schemes like social audit and timely disbursement of wages through smart cards as well.

Rosaiah said AP would be very happy to introduce the scheme since it is already supplying rice at Rs. 2 a kg to around 1.82 crore households at 20 kg per household a month. The State is spending about Rs .3,000 crore towards the scheme, he said.

He added that the public distribution system in Andhra Pradesh covers a majority of the population and that the new scheme proposed by the NAC will entail an additional expenditure of Rs. 15,137 crore annually in the first phase. Next year, it will cost Rs. 23,231 crore, he said.

Courtesy: INN