<div>West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced that her government will bring 7 crore people in the state under a food security scheme.<br /><br />The Cabinet decision, which was ratified on Friday, will cost the state exchequer nearly a staggering Rs 8,000 crore.<br /><br />“Currently our government gives rice at Rs 2 per kg to 3.33 crore people in the state. We’re starting a new scheme for food security from January 27 under which three crore additional people will be included in the system and will get wheat and rice at Rs 2 per kg,” Banerjee told reporters after a Cabinet meeting. With the population of Bengal standing at around nine crore, the new scheme brings almost 80 percent of them under food security.<br /><br />The chief minister said her government would supply subsidised food grains to 1.7 crore people not enlisted under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). <br /><br />“We’ll give 5 kg of food grains at Rs 2 a kg to seven crore people every month from January 27. Another 70 lakh people will receive 1 kg of rice every month at a subsidised rate,” she said. The 5 kg of grains include 3 kg of wheat and 2 kg of rice. The move would cost the exchequer some Rs 2,000 crore annually.</div>
<div>West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced that her government will bring 7 crore people in the state under a food security scheme.<br /><br />The Cabinet decision, which was ratified on Friday, will cost the state exchequer nearly a staggering Rs 8,000 crore.<br /><br />“Currently our government gives rice at Rs 2 per kg to 3.33 crore people in the state. We’re starting a new scheme for food security from January 27 under which three crore additional people will be included in the system and will get wheat and rice at Rs 2 per kg,” Banerjee told reporters after a Cabinet meeting. With the population of Bengal standing at around nine crore, the new scheme brings almost 80 percent of them under food security.<br /><br />The chief minister said her government would supply subsidised food grains to 1.7 crore people not enlisted under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). <br /><br />“We’ll give 5 kg of food grains at Rs 2 a kg to seven crore people every month from January 27. Another 70 lakh people will receive 1 kg of rice every month at a subsidised rate,” she said. The 5 kg of grains include 3 kg of wheat and 2 kg of rice. The move would cost the exchequer some Rs 2,000 crore annually.</div>