New Delhi, July 25: The Prime Minister has convened an all-party meeting to review the public distribution system (PDS). The meeting had been earlier scheduled to take place on July 18, but had been postponed by a week in the wake of travel plans of MPs from several parties. The meeting was first mooted in January after Food Minister Sharad Yadav wrote to Vajpayee seeking a permanent solution to the problem of "starvation amidst grains aplenty" by an interface with the chief ministers, states' food ministers and chief secretaries.
Yadav stressed on greater coordination with states for a well-oiled public distribution system (PDS) ensuring that foodstocks reach the targeted population in time, said sources.
The Centre has put the ball in the court of state governments with whom lies the responsibility of distributing grains under PDS but is prepared to discuss the strategy for increasing grains' offtake under the system.
They said since a number of states are ruled by parties which are not part of the ruling coalition at the Centre, it was felt an all party meeting will put things in the right perspective. Bureau Report