Karnataka: Cabinet rejigs rice for Re 1 per kg scheme

June 14, 2013

Cabinet_rejigs_rice
Bangalore, Jun 14: Unable to mobilise the huge quantity of rice, the State Cabinet on Thursday decided to retain the unit system (fixing quantity of rice per person) for implementing the rice-for-Re 1-per-kg scheme to be launched from July 1.

Besides, the Cabinet discussed the possibility of supplying ragi and jowar under the public distri¬bution system (PDS) along with rice, but no decision was taken.

Instead of the present four kg per unit or person, however, the Cabinet has decided to increase the quantum to 10 kg per person per month under the scheme with a maximum ceiling of 30 kg per family. For a family of two persons, 20 kg rice will be given per month.

All families having more than two members will get a maximum of 30 kg per month, Law Minister T B Jayachandra told reporters after the Cabinet meeting.

On the day of assuming office, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced complete scrapping of the unit system under the PDS and decided to give 30 kg rice to all below poverty line (BPL) families from June 1.

But the launch of the scheme was postponed to July 1 due to non-availability of such a huge quantity of rice (an additional 1.50 lakh metric tonnes per month). Even minors, including toddlers, are considered part of a family, and they are counted as a unit if their names are included in the ration card.

The government has introduced the new system (new unit system) due to shortage of rice. But every person under BPL family will get 10 kg rice per month instead of four kg. A total of 30 kg rice will be given to families having more than two members, said Jayachandra.

The new unit system, official sources said, will reduce the burden on the government to a considerable extent. Of the total 87 lakh BPL cardholders, about eight lakh come under single person category and about 15 lakh belong to two-person family category.

As a result, the total quantity of rice required for the scheme will come down by about 40,000 metric tonnes per month. The scheme is estimated to require about Rs 4,900 crore per annum under the new unit system, as against about Rs 5,800 crore estimated for providing 30 kg rice to all.

The Cabinet also gave its nod for procuring rice required for the scheme from the open market. The Food and Civil Supplies department is planning to call a tender for rice procurement from other states and participate in online trading in the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange Limited . The cost of rice in the open market is estimated to be Rs 28 to Rs 30 per kg, the minister said.

Jayachandra said that the Cabinet discussed supplying ragi and jowar considering the regional food habits.

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News Network
May 3,2024

Mangaluru, May 3: The Mangaluru City Corporation will resort to water rationing from May 5 as the Thumbe vented dam, which supplies drinking water to the city, is facing a shortage in water storage.

Instead of daily supply, water will be supplied on alternate days, the Executive Engineer (Water Supply) at the corporation said in a release.

The release said that water will be supplied to Mangaluru City North on May 5. There will be no water supply to Mangaluru City North on May 6. Instead water will be supplied to Mangaluru City South on May 6. Likewise the supply on alternate days will continue.

The inflow in the Netravathi has stopped, the release said, requesting people to cooperate with the corporation and not waste water for washing vehicles and other purposes.

An engineer at the corporation said that water level at the dam stood at 4.27 m on Wednesday against the full storage level of 6 m. If water is supplied daily to the entire city (Mangaluru City North and Mangaluru City South) the existing storage will last only for 16 days, the engineer said. Hence the decision to supply water on alternate days has been taken to supply water till May-end.

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News Network
May 12,2024

express.jpg

Mangaluru: A native of Kerala was arrested on charge of misbehaving with crew on an Air India Express flight while travelling from Dubai to Mangaluru International Airport. The man even threatened to jump from the aircraft, according to officials. 

Siddartha Das, the security coordinator for Air India Express, lodged a complaint against the passenger, identified as Muhammad BC from Kannur, Kerala, after which he was caught by the airport security once the flight landed at Mangaluru. He was later handed over to the police.

DCP (Law and Order) Sidharth Goyal said the incident occurred on Flight IX814 on May 8.

When the flight was above the sea, Muhammad reportedly said he wanted to get off the plane, posing a threat to all on board. The unruly flyer was detained by airport security once the flight landed at Mangaluru International Airport and he was handed over to Bajpe police station officials.

Sources added once the flight took off from Dubai, the accused went to the lavatory and thereafter started inquiring with the cabin crew about a person named Krishna who was not on the flight. Muhammad kept on pressing the bell for in-flight assistance, even though the cabin crew members were near at hand. He then picked up a life jacket, gave it to a crew member, and said he wanted to use it upon landing.

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News Network
May 4,2024

Mangaluru, May 4: The Mangaluru International Airport was besieged with a harrowing message of terror recently, when an email, purportedly from malevolent elements, menacingly declared the planting of bombs within the airport premises. 

Addressed to the office of the airport authority, the missive, steeped in ominous overtones, bore the ominous signature of a terrorist faction, ominously named 'Terrorizers 111'.

The communication, disseminated in English, ominously detailed the clandestine emplacement of explosives in areas eluding facile detection, accompanied by a chilling warning of their imminent detonation. The threat, ominously looming over not only the infrastructure but also the airborne vessels, portended a catastrophic deluge of bloodshed and loss.

In response to this dire communiqué, airport authorities swiftly engaged the apparatus of law enforcement, dispatching urgent alerts to the vigilant guardians of public safety. Acting upon the dictates of higher echelons, a formal dossier of this menacing correspondence was meticulously compiled, cloaked in the veil of confidentiality to thwart any premature dissemination.

Mangaluru International Airport found itself in grim camaraderie with more than 30 counterparts under the aegis of the Airport Authority of India (AAI) and private domains, all recipients of this chilling electronic diatribe. A comprehensive net of precautionary measures was swiftly cast, fortifying the bastions of security in anticipation of any nefarious designs lurking within the shadows.

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