Vijayashanti: Telangana state government more interested in blaming Centre

Hyderabad: Former MP and BJP national executive member Vijayashanti on Thursday lashed out at the State government's changing goalposts daily on the issue of parboiled rice. In a statement, she said the TRS leaders and ministers have been making baseless allegations and spreading lies on a daily basis against the Centre. Vijayashanti said the Food Corporation of India (FCI) had already informed the State government that it is willing to lift even five lakh metric tonnes of Fortified Rice Kernels (FRK).

However, there is no word from the government on the same. She said at the end of October 2021 the State will have to send 44.75 LMT of parboiled rice to FCI. However, it has so far sent only 50 per cent. She demanded the government to provide details of steps taken to send fortified rice to FCI with statistics.

"The Centre has already started an elaborate exercise to supply fortified rice for the mid-day meal scheme, Anganwadis, and ration shops," she pointed out. Vijayashanti said the Centre had taken steps to launch a pilot project to supply fortified rice in 112 selected districts across the country to through ICDS for mid-day meals in 2019-20. Several southern States had come forward to make use of it.

"There is no response despite the Union Education Minister having written to the State to make use of the pilot project. Though there are so many opportunities, the TRS government is busy only pointing fingers at the Centre for its political mileage".