CM wants inclusion of old age pensioners

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, JAN. 2. The State Government has suggested to the Centre to include the old age pensioners under the `Antodaya Anna Scheme', announced by the Prime Minister, Mr. A.B. Vajpayee, to make them eligible for 25 kg of foodgrains per month.

The Chief Minister, Mr. M. Karunanidhi, told presspersons here today that the State had identified 7.40 lakh people coming under the `poorest of the poor' category, who would be brought under the scheme. They would get foodgrains at less than the normal price charged under the public distribution system(PDS) for below the poverty line (BPL) families.

``We have now sent a proposal to the Centre to include the State's 10 lakh old age pensioners also in this category and are awaiting the approval,'' Mr.Karunanidhi said, when asked about the guidelines sent by the Centre for the programme.

Refuting press reports on PDS consumers in the State being ``overcharged'' to the extent of over Rs.250 crores in the supply of foodgrains, Mr. Karunanidhi said Tamil Nadu was the only State where rice to consumers under PDS was being supplied without making any distinction between `above the poverty line' (APL) families and BPL families.

Though several other States provided rice at above Rs.5 per kg under the PDS, in Tamil Nadu 20 kg of rice per month was given to about 1.50 lakh family card holders at a uniform price of Rs.3.50 per kg. ``People buying rice in the ration shops know this from their experience and the report is incorrect,'' he said.

On the meeting of the Chennai Mayor, Mr. M.K. Stalin, and the State PWD Minister, Mr. Durai Murugan, with the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu, to press for more Krishna waters to Chennai, Mr. Karunanidhi said that Mr. Naidu had assured a ``sympathetic consideration'' of their request.

To another query, the Chief Minister ruled out considering export of coarse variety of rice from Tamil Nadu, as permitted by some other States.

Disagreeing with the recent contention of the Dalit Panthers of India's organiser, Mr. R. Thirumavalavan, that barring two districts of Kanyakumari and Nilgirs, the `two tumbler' system prevailed discriminating Dalits in tea-shops, he said, this system had to a major extent been done away with. If there were a `few places' where it prevailed, Police will take action, he assured.

On a proposal to have the Tamil month of `Thai' (coinciding with the `Pongal' festival) as the first month of the Tamil calender, Mr. Karunanidhi said he was not against the idea, but the practical difficulties in the change-over will also have to be considered.

``The DMK will organise a conference to announce the candidates'', he quipped when asked whether the party planned to organise meetings to explain its achievements, in view of the coming Assembly elections. ``Without knowing the poll dates, I cannot say whether school/college exams will be advanced,'' he added to a related query.

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