Rice at Rs 2/kg from June 3: Karunanidhi

Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi today announced that the price of rice in ration shops would be reduced to Rs 2 per kg from the present Rs 3.50 from June 3, on the occasion of his 83rd birthday.

This was the first file he cleared today after taking over as the state's chief minister for the fifth time.

The DMK chief also announced waiver of all co-operative loans of farmers to the tune of Rs 6,866 crore. These were the two major poll promises of the DMK in its election campaign.

Karunanidhi also announced that children taking food under the nutritious noon meal scheme in schools would be provided eggs twice a week. The scheme would come into force from July 15, the birth anniversary of veteran Tamil Nadu leader K Kamaraj.