Providing rice at reasonable prices

The government at long last is going all out exercising different options simultaneously to make rice available at tolerable prices to the people. The sky-rocketing of cereal price to an unusual level over the last two weeks with the Adviser concerned betraying a certain helplessness evoking criticism from all around in the process seems to have nudged the government machinery into a dynamic mode. We are looking for results now.
The government has decided to release huge quantity of rice to reach buyers through different distribution channels. In the present scheme of things, the Food Ministry is thinking of introducing OMS outlets to contend with the rising prices. We say just open the OMS outlets with a reasonable stock of rice in hand, and disperse it over a vast area rather than verbalising it. The BDR outlets are doing a good job but they are mostly urban-centred; the rural areas will have to be accessed.
The government's procurement plans will have to be implemented expeditiously. The delegation that is planning to go to India to smoothen import of 5 lakh tonnes must be able to wrap up negotiations for quick delivery at reasonable prices. The Food Ministry's invitation of tenders for importing 2 lakh tonnes of rice from Thailand should bear results sooner than later. The government's plan to import rice from Vietnam and Myanmar ought to materialise now. There is a comfortable foreign exchange reserve and we must do everything to release foreign exchange to strengthen the supply side.
Under the test relief (TR) programme, food for work (FFW) programme, vulnerable group feeding (VGF) programme and vulnerable group development (VGD) programme, it is learnt 75,000, 85,000, 38,000, and 10,000 tonnes of rice respectively will be distributed all over the country. Just do it.
What we feel is that there has been no dearth of plans and programmes to replenish rice supply even amidst a string of constraints, but what is lacking is their quick implementation. Without wasting our breath on the impressive array of programmes what we need is expeditiously reaching rice to the commonman at reasonable prices.