Centre to decide on higher rice price for Kerala

New Delhi: The Centre will take a decision on Wednesday on the Kerala government's demand for a higher price for the rice supplied to the Food Corporation of India by the State Civil Supplies Corporation, which procured paddy from farmers to ensure a fair price for them, State Chief Minister Oomen Chandy on Tuesday said.

Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar has convened a meeting of those concerned here tomorrow to take a final decision on the matter, he said.

The Chief Minister who discussed the matter with Pawar today, told newsmen that if the Centre did not give a higher price for the quantity of rice supplied to the FCI, the state government would have to bear the losses.

He said the Civil Supplies corporation had already supplied rice to the FCI after milling the paddy procured from the farmers.

Chandy said the Power Ministry had released a sum of RS 69.4 crore to the state today under the Accelerated Power Development Reforms Programme. Another Rs 64 crore was released from the Central Road Fund.

He said a high level Qatari delegation would visit the state for three days from tomorrow. The state government would submit project proposals to the delegation after knowing their areas of interest for investment during the discussion.