Patna,(BiharTimes): Union food minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Monday asked as to why the Bihar government is selling rice at the rate of Rs three per kilo and wheat at Rs two per kilo under the National Food Security Act when neighbouring Jharkhand is selling at the rate of Rs one each and state like Tamil Nadu is giving free to those living below poverty line.

He said that the Bihar government is making tall claims of giving food at subsidized rates to the BPL families, but the truth is that it is selling it at much higher rate than other states. After all it is the central government scheme and the state government has no contribution whatsoever. If the Centre can take the subsidy burden of more than Rs 18 per kilo why not the Bihar government share a little bit.

He alleged that the Bihar government implemented the National Food Security Act on the eve of the 2014 Lok Sabha election in a hurry.

Mind it Bihar is the first state to implement the NFSA in early 2014. Many BJP ruled states, including Gujarat and Jharkhand, followed it much later and thus fixed the rate lower than Bihar.

Ram Vilas said that a central tteam would visit Patna to study why the rate is higher in Bihar.