PNS|Ongole
District Collector AS Dinesh Kumar has said that the rice, being distributed under the Public Distribution System (PDS), is nutritious and called upon beneficiaries to consume the rice without any hesitation.
The Collector, along with Joint Collector K Srinivasulu, here on Monday inaugurated a programme in which various dishes made of ration rice, red gram, wheat flour, and sugar were cooked, demonstrated and distributed. The programme was organized by the Civil Supplies department. The Collector inquired with the organizers on how the dishes were prepared.
Speaking on the occasion, the Collector said that the state government is distributing quality Sartex rice to the ration card holders despite the rice being costly. However, untruths were spread that the ration rice could not be cooked properly and it is difficult to digest the rice made of ration rice.
The Collector dispelled the misconceptions and misleading reports on the ration rice stating the fortified rice is being distributed under the PDS and all could consume it without fear or doubt.
He said that these cooking competitions were organized by the Civil Supplies Department in a bid to make people understand about the quality and nutritional value of ration rice. Apart from traditional dishes like pulihora and paramannam with ration rice, there are many innovative dishes like rice, muruku, dosas, and gongura rice. He said that steps were taken to sensitise the beneficiaries on the nutrition values of ration rice.
