1 crore students in hostels to get subsidized wheat/rice
The government will provide 15kg of wheat and rice per month to an estimated 1 crore students in all hostels with at least two-thirds of students from SC, ST, and OBC categories, under a scheme that could cost exchequer upto Rs.4,000cr annually. Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said the government will provide grains at BPL rates: Rs. 4.15/kg for wheat; Rs 5.65/kg for rice.
In Ambedkar hostels where all students belong to SC/ST, each student will get 15kg of wheat or rice per month at BPL rates, Paswan said. "In all other hostels, be it government or private, where two-thirds students are from SC, ST, OBC, and OBC among minorities, 15kg of wheat or rice will be provided per student per month at BPL rates," he said.
Paswan said that in such hostels, even students belonging to the general category would get subsidized grains. Girls' hostels would also be entitled to subsidized food grains. The move comes at a time when different political parties are trying to reach out to Dalits and other backward classes ahead of assembly election in some states, and the general election which is due next year.
Under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), the Centre provides highly subsidized food grains to over 80 crore people of the country. Each person gets 5kg of food grains per month at Rs. 1-3/kg, costing the exchequer around Rs. 1.5L crore annually.
