Gandhinagar: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra
Modi on Tuesday launched a scheme for providing nutritious soya
mixed wheat flour at about Rs 2 a kg to the poor at a time
when the Centre is working for providing foodgrains at Rs 3 a
kg under a proposed Food Security Act.
Launching the scheme on the foundation day of BJP, Modi
said Gujarat is the first state to provide nutritious food to
the Antyodaya and Below Poverty Line (BPL) families. There are
eight lakh Antodaya and 26 lakh BPL families in the state.
Modi said around 1.7 people would benefit from the scheme
under which each Antyodaya family would be entitled to get a
17.5 kg flour bag at Rs 38, while each BPL family will get a
12.5 kg bag at Rs 26 per month.
The BJP-ruled state has launched the innovative food
scheme a day after the UPA Government at the Centre reverted
back to the Planning Commission on finding out the exact
number of the BPL families.
Modi noted that the fortified flour bags will be
distributed from 16,000 public distribution system (PDS) shops
spread across the state.
Soybean laden flour will provide additional protein,
which is a important component of nutrition, he said.
Earlier the Gujarat government had launched nutritious
edible oil scheme which was appreciated by the Planning
Commission of India, the Chief Minister said.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, April 07, 2010, 00:15