Steps taken to improve PDS in NE region

Steps have been taken to improve the Public Distribution System (PDS) in the North Eastern region for foodgrains to reach the beneficiaries, Union Food and Public Distribution Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said here today.
Taking stock of the PDS situation in Assam, Paswan said pending railway broad gauge conversion work in Guwahati- Dibrugarh and Lumding-Silchar section has been directed to be completed by March 31 along with improved roads for easy and economical transportation of foodgrains.
The PDS allocation for the Northeast was 2,94,000 tonnes rice and wheat per month, the minister said.
On the complains about foodgrains not reaching the state or of sometimes being of poor quality, he said, "If proper distribution is not done the state governments have to see how it is addressed.

The Centre sends required foodgrains to states and the state governments lifts them from the Food Corporation of India godowns," he said.
With Assam government assuring that the Food Security Act would be implemented by June, he said FSA will cover at the rate of 84 per cent rural population and 16 per cent urban population providing rice at Rs four per kg and wheat at Rs two per kg.