Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government is moving ahead with its proposal to introduce ‘K-Rice’ as a substitute for ‘Bharat Rice’. Despite the announcement by the food department about the distribution of ‘K-Rice’, it remains unavailable in the market. Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, GR Anil, has instructed key officials, including the Director of Civil Supplies, Chairman and Managing Director of Supplyco, and Department of Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs secretary, to submit a report addressing this within a week.
The main agenda of the Kerala Government behind the introduction of ‘K-Rice’ is to offer consumers an alternative to the existing ‘Bharat Rice’. ‘Bharat Rice’, distributed by the central government at Rs 29 per kg, enjoys significant popularity, and consumers rush to purchase it. This has given a severe blow to the Kerala Government as their K-Rice initiative has not yet hit the outlets for distribution.
Through the Bharat-Rice initiative, rice priced at Rs 42 in public markets, is sold at a subsidised rate of Rs 29. ‘Bharat Rice’ is made available through various outlets, including the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED), the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India Ltd (NCCF), and Kendriya Bhandar outlets. The Bharat Brand was launched by the central government with the goal of alleviating hunger across the nation.
The ‘K-Rice’ initiative of the Kerala Government, aims to offer an alternative rice option to white and blue ration cardholders who are currently not receiving sufficient rice through ration shops. For this, the Kerala government aims to procure varieties such as Jaya, Kuruva, and Matta rice, popular among Malayalis, from different sources. While Jaya rice will be sourced from other states to reduce costs, Matta and Kuruva rice will be procured from local farmers in Kerala. The branding and packaging of this rice will be ensured, with distribution facilitated through Supplyco. Presently, rice is being distributed to white and blue ration cardholders at a rate of Rs 10.90 per kilogram, but the service is not reaching everyone as intended.
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