1 kg rice for Re. 1 scheme launched 
how can this happen if there is food shortage in India....
TIRUNELVELI
Tamil Nadu) Minister for Environment, Youth Welfare and Sports
T.P.M. Maideen Khan inaugurated the distribution of 1 kg rice for Re. 1 Scheme at a function held in front of Tirunelveli Railway Junction here on Tuesday.
Addressing the function, Mr. Maideen Khan said those who mocked at the DMK election promise of giving one kg rice for Rs. 2 became speechless when the scheme was launched immediately after M. Karunanidhi became the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for the fifth time.
Now, he has gone one step ahead by reducing the price to Re. 1 and has announced selling a set of essential commodities for Rs. 50. Those who criticise these efforts being taken with the objective of shielding the public from inflation are most welcome to procure it from the wholesale market and sell it to the public for a better price, Mr. Maideen Khan said.
He also came down heavily on the Opposition parties for criticising the government for the power cuts, saying that the temporary phenomenon would vanish soon as steps had been initiated to alleviate the load shedding.
District Collector G. Prakash said that through the 1,235 ration shops, including 927 full-time outlets and 308 part-time shops, 16,537 tonnes of rice, 1,573 tonnes of sugar, 2,690 kilo litres kerosene and other essential commodities were being sold every month to 8,41,255 family card holders.
A total of 968 fair price shops had been provided with electronic weighing scales to ensure accuracy of the quantity.
Apart from the 12 kerosene depots in the district, being administered by the cooperative societies, steps had been taken to establish one more unit on the premises of Kandigaiperi Hospital in Tirunelveli town.
Mr. Prakash said that a novel system was all set to be introduced in the district within a month to weed out bogus cards.
Tuticorin
Minister for Social Welfare P. Geetha Jeevan inaugurated the scheme here. A total of 4,56,598 cardholders in the district will get one Kg rice for Re. 1, she said. Collector R. Palaniyandi, Mayor Kasthuri Thangam, District Revenue Officer P. Anbarasu and others participated.
Nagercoil
The Government was spending more than Rs. 200 per family cardholder in the State to ensure their welfare, said Tourism Minister N. Suresh Rajan.
Launching the scheme at Krishnankovil, near here, the Minister said that it was the bounden duty of the Government to provide at least rice at subsidised rate so that poor people would be benefited.
Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi had announced various welfare and development schemes in the election manifesto which were to be completed within five years. Almost all the schemes had been implemented within two-and-a-half years.
The schemes announced by the DMK government stood as a model for other states in the country, he said.
The State government had opened quite a large number of fair price shops so that poor people did not suffer while getting essential commodities.
But some anti-social elements were engaged in smuggling rice. The Minister sought the co-operation of the public to put a full stop to the illegal activity.
The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Tirunelveli News : 1 kg rice for Re. 1 scheme launched
Grow enough food and everything will be fine.
