THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Union Minister of State Alphons Kannanthanam has said that Kerala, which had earlier criticised the Centre in the name of non-feasible helps, has ditched tonnes of rice allotted by it.

“When people reeling under natural calamity go about with empty stomachs, tonnes of rice allotted from the Centre are dumped in FCI godown, with the State not coming forward to take it and distribute it. This shows the big flaw in the State’s administration.

The State government is also showing reluctance to take over the rice and wheat. It should immediately make necessary arrangements to distribute the rice among the people.

Kerala is a place where people have prosperously produced paddy, tapioca, mango, jack-fruit and other vegetables and used them to satisfy their eating habits but now, in the post-flood scenario, people started pining for even a piece of bread.

The Centre allotted 89,540 tonne extra rice, considering the above situation. It is these supply that is lying dumped in the FCI godown. The government has not been able to collect it for distribution. If it is not taken within Wednesday, it will go waste,” Alphons said on his Facebook post.