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Journalism of Courage
After threatening to cut off supplies of foodgrains for the mid-day meal scheme, the Food Corporation of India has today agreed to give the HRD Ministry time till March for clearing its arrears amounting to Rs 500 crore.
‘‘We have given the FCI assurance that we will be able to clear the dues by March.The problem is being resolved,’’ a senior HRD Ministry official said, adding that the ‘‘Food Ministry has agreed not to take action till March 31’’.
But, by March, the HRD Ministry admitted, the arrears will be mounting beyond Rs 500 crore. ‘‘Obviously, payment for two months of foodgrain supplies have to be added to the present outstanding of Rs 500 crore,’’ an official added. But they refused to divulge how the ministry plans to raise the money. ‘‘You should ask the Finance Ministry that! We would impress upon them to increase our allocation. After all, it is an important scheme,’’ they said. They indicated that some amount of the arrear will ‘‘remain unpaid’’ due to the budgetary cut and also because certain states have failed to return the verification certificates for stocks supplied to them.
