The Central government has finally agreed to distribute additional food grains to the poor. Following the order of the Supreme Court, the decision was taken by the GoM today to distribute the food grains under the PDS scheme in the next six months.

Reacting to increasing pressure from the opposition and the left parties, a meeting was convened today which was attended by the Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and other ministers. A decision to distribute additional food grains to poor under the Public Distribution Scheme (PDS) was taken by the GoM.

Under this scheme, 25 lakh tonnes of food grains will be distributed to the states at BPL (Below Poverty Line) prices. This distribution of rice and wheat at subsidized prices will cost the government 66,000 crores. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mr. Shard Pawar said that the PDS will be overhauled.

On August 1, the government had 55 million tonnes of food stocks, against the norm of about 27 million tonnes.