In India, the Tamil Nadu government has provided Rs 1,950 crore in the current fiscal as subsidy for rice supplied under the public distribution system. Replying to a debate on the demands for grants for his ministry, he said this huge amount had been provided because of the supply of rice under PDS at Rs 2 per kg.

Denying the opposition charge that inferior quality rice was supplied through PDS, he said following his talks with the Union Food and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, only quality rice was being released to the state from the Central pool.