Maharashtra govt to roll out food security scheme from Feb 1

Nagpur: Maharashtra government will launch the food security scheme for the poor from February 1, which will cover seven crore population out of 11.23 crore.

Talking to reporters, Maharashtra Food and Civil Supplies Anil Deshmukh today said, "About four lakh metric tonnes of foodgrain worth Rs 800 crore will be distributed at cheap rates to the beneficiaries. Each person will get wheat at Rs two per kg and rice at Rs three per kg." Each family would get 35 kg foodgrain, he added. The scheme will be launched at Patni ground, Airoli in Thane district in the presence of Chief Minister Prithiviraj Chavan, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar has also been invited for the function, besides other union ministers, Deshmukh said. The scheme was earlier scheduled to be launched on January 26, but was postponed after a Cabinet decision, he said. It will be simultaneously rolled out in each district in the state between February 1 and 8.