Distribution of single boiled rice to resume

PUDUCHERRY: After a lapse of around eight months, the UT government will resume distribution of single boiled rice(SBR) through Public Distribution System from next week,said Chief minister N Rangasamy  while inspecting the construction of houses under JNNURM at Lambert Saravanan Nagar on Thursday.SBR distribution introduced by the previous Congress government got into rough weather after the rice millers refused to deposit the SBR to Food Corporation of India, at the levy price of  government of India. They wanted the AINRC government to provide them the additional incentive as had been the norm during the Congress government. This led to a tussle, with rice millers approaching the court. However, after the court passed an interim order allowing the Puducherry government to enforce the levy, the department of ccivil supplies and consumer affairs raided and seized rice from several rice mills. Following that, some of the rice millers had deposited SBR at the FCI, while others were still contesting the case in court. Around 2000 metric tons of SBR is available with  FCI, in addition to  another 1,000 MT of  raw rice, sources said. This stock would be utilised for the scheme. The total allocation of rice for Puducherry region alone is around 4000 metric tonnes. With the ongoing strike by FCI, the distribution will resume only after the strike is withdrawn and the fair price shops ARE allowed to take the rice from the FCI godown.However, people are skeptical of the distribution, as the issue is yet to be settled. The government may be able to give SBR now, but continuous supply is doubtful and the distribution may be intermittent, feel some members of the public.“The CM should not ditch the people again. If this is going to be a stop gap arrangement then it will lead to greater disssatification and commotion in the area,  said Congress MLA K Lakshminarayanan.