Food minister rules out export of rice to Bangladesh

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Express news service

Posted online: Monday , March 10, 2008 at 01:57:23
Updated: Monday , March 10, 2008 at 02:18:28

Kolkata, March 9 Notwithstanding the announcement made by Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee to export rice to Bangladesh, State Food and Supplies Minister Paresh Adhikari has ruled out the possibility.

“The Centre has also floated a tender for transporting rice to Bangladesh. A few government agencies had also taken part in the process. But we have decided against it,” Adhikari said.

The minister cited that the export of such a huge quantity of rice to the neighbouring country could lead to shortage in the state, triggering a rise in the market prices.

“At the moment we are not going to export any food grains,” he added.

Adhikari’s statement comes after Bhattacharjee had made an announcement on March 4 for exporting rice to Benagaldesh.

He had said: “We are sending rice to Bangladesh because the situation there is grim and rice being sold at Rs 30 per kilogram there. This will be a humanitarian gesture from our side.”

Earlier, Union External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, on his visit to Bangladesh after the cyclone Sidr, had promised to send 5,00,000 tonnes of rice to the country.

On February 21, 100 truckloads of rice along with other relief materials were sent to Bangladesh through the Indo-Bangla Petrapol border in North 24 Parganas.

The initiative was taken by State Transport Minister Subhash Chakraborty.

Adhikari’s statement could also be a reflection of the state government’s unwillingness to take a chance with the panchayat elections, which are round the corner.

As it is two months back West Bengal was gripped by violent protests over irregularities in the public distribution system of the state.

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