Chhattisgarh poor to have rice at lowest rates

The poorest of poor in Chhattisgarh will be provided rice at further concessional rates -- down from Rs 3 per kg to Re 1 a kg -- while salt will be given to them free by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, a circular said in Raipur on Wednesday.

The poorest of poor in Chhattisgarh will be provided rice at further concessional rates -- down from Rs 3 per kg to Re 1 a kg -- while salt will be given to them free by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, a circular said in Raipur on Wednesday.

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The circular issued by the Food and Civil Supplies Department has asked the district authorities of all the 18 districts to distribute from July 1 rice at Re 1 per kg to 700,000 families having Antyodaya cards.

Of the total 3.7 million families identified as rice scheme beneficiaries, 700,000 will be provided rice at Re 1 per kg while the remaining three million will be given rice at Rs 2 a kg.

Iodized salt packets will also be provided free of cost to these 3.7 million families under the Amrit Namak Yojna.

Under the Chief Minister's Food Assistance Scheme, about 3.7 million poor families were so far provided rice at Rs 3 per kg.

The new scheme replaces the BJP government's Rs 3 per kg rice scheme that was launched on 1, 2007. It was basically the brainchild of Chief Minister Raman Singh and led to BJP's victory in the state's assembly polls in November last year.