New Delhi, Thursday, 19 August 2010: Demanding more food grains from the Centre for the Onam festival, a Kerala MP said in the Rajya Sabha that instead of rats eating the surplus rice, the commodity could be given to his state.

“Instead of rats eating the food grains, it can be given to Kerala,” CPI (M) member K N Balagopal said during Zero Hour.

He complained that the state was getting reduced quantity of rice for the ration shops.

Food and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar had earlier this month admitted that some quantity of food grains was rotting in the absence of adequate storage capacity with the Food Corporation of India.

Balagopal was supported by P J Kurien (Cong), who also hails from Kerala.

(Agencies)