Tamil Nadu only state to allot Rs 6000 crore for the food security scheme: R Kamaraj

Chennai: Minister for food and civil supplies R. Kamaraj said that the government has allotted Rs 6,000 crore under food security scheme. He said Tamil Nadu is the only state in the country to allot Rs 6000 crore for the scheme.

Kamaraj said the government has been distributing 3.14 lakh metric tonne of rice and 13,485 metric tones of wheat to more than 1.88 crore ration cardholders in the state.

He also stated that the government has issued more than 1.99 crore smart ration cards to people till now. The government has also installed GPS facilities in lorries transporting food items meant to be distributed to ration cardholders and installed 2869 CCTVs in civil supplies godowns in the state.

The government will also distribute smart ration cards to more than 4.30 lakh persons receiving old age pension. The government will construct buildings at 25 paddy procurement centres in Delta and other regions at a cost of Rs 15 crore.

Minister for co-operation Sellur K. Raju said that deposit in cooperative banks has increased to Rs 52,247 crore this year. In 2011, the deposit in the cooperative banks was Rs 26,245 crore. The department sold 46,025 metric tones of fresh vegetables sold in Farm Fresh outlets in across the state. The government has increased the salary of 22,048 employees up to 21 per cent.