Rs 1441 cr new schemes by Raman from April 1

          Raipur, December 30, 2008: Spending Rs 1,441 crore, over 1.5 crore poor people of Chhattisgarh would be provided free salt and rice in a just price by the state government, Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh said today.

     Reviewing the works of the Food Department, the Chief Minister said from April 1, the state government would be proving 37 lakh poor families free salt and rice for Re 1 or Rs 2.

     The scheme would require Rs 1,441 crore, including the rice scheme would alone cost Rs 1,439 crore from the state exchequer, he said.

     On the rice scheme 7.19 lakh poorest families would be getting rice for Re 1 under the Antyodaya scheme where as the rest 29.86 lakh families living below poverty line would get rice for Rs 2 per kg.

     In its election plank the ruling BJP had promised to provide free salt and rice in Re 1 and Rs 2 per kg to poors.