Sharad Pawar, Food and Agriculture Minister, announced the release of an additional 25 lakh tons of wheat and rice for distribution among the poor.
According to reports, the Centre will release an additional 2.5MT of grain to states for the poor. It will be sold at BPL prices, and not distributed free as directed by the Supreme Court.
This will be an interim arrangement to be revisited after six months.
The Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM), which met on Thursday evening under the chairmanship of finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, decided to consider an overhaul of PDS scheme, including upgrading the number of eligible Belo Povert Line (BPL) families.
Sharad Pawar was quoted as saying that the overhaul is expected to increase the number of BPL families eligible for assistance and a corresponding increase in grain allocation by the Centre.
The Supreme Court had, in its hearing held earlier this week, taken the government to task for not complying with its earlier order on distributing grain rotting in the FCI godowns to the poor free of cost.