CHENNAI: Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Friday requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take steps for extending the coverage of subsidized sugar to all priority households and enhance the subsidy for it from Rs 18.50 per kg to at least Rs 28.50 per kg. In a letter to Modi, he said the Prime Minister should taken into consideration the present market rate of Rs 42 per kg and help the state government in protecting the current scale of supply in the state.
The average consumption of sugar per month in this state is 35,500 metric tonne and the state government had been bearing the entire financial burden, with a huge drain on its exchequer, Palaniswami said. He said the Cenre had restricted the subsidy at the rate of Rs 18.50 per kg of sugar to the Antyodaya Anna Yojana beneficiaries only and also the scale of supply had been restricted to one kg per family per month.
He said the Priority Households (PHH) under the National Food Security Act, 2013 hade been identified following very stringent guidelines, and they represent the most vulnerable sections of society. Exclusion of such poor and vulnerable sections of society from availing sugar at subsidized rate would lead to serious discontent among the public, he said. So, the coverage for sugar at subsidized rates might be kindly be extended to all priority households, he said.
