The Centre on Thursday clarified that the revised rice quota for Odisha under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) would be applicable from June 2016.
Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ram Vilas Paswan in a letter to Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday informed that in his letter it has been written by mistake that ‘the allocation of rice and wheat has been revised from May, 2016.
“It may kindly be read as ‘the allocation of rice and wheat has been revised from June, 2016,” the fresh letter stated.
Confusion prevailed over the date from which the revised rice quota under the NFSA would come into effect with the State Government puzzled by two letters mentioning two different dates received from the Central Government.
According to sources, the two letters; one from Paswan to Pradhan and another letter from the Ministry to
Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Department mentioned two different dates of implementation of the revised quota.
While Paswan’s letter to Pradhan had stipulated that the revised quota would come into force retrospectively from May the other had stated that the revision would be implemented from the month of June.
Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Sanjay Dasburma too sought a clarification from the Centre in this regard.
“The two letters have two different dates. I have asked the Principal Secretary of the department to ascertain the actual date of implementation,” informed Dasburma earlier on the day.
Notably, Union Minister Pradhan told reporters on Wednesday that Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ram Vilas Paswan had sent a letter to him stating that the allocation of rice and wheat ratio had been revised from 78.81: 21.18 to 85.47: 14.53 as demanded by the State Government with effect from May this year.