An ambitious scheme for supplying wheat to Below Poverty Line (BPL) families in Rajasthan at Rs 2 a kg is likely to benefit about 36.57 lakh families across the state, a recent report in The Hindu said. The state government will incur an additional expenditure of Rs.275 crore a year on the new initiative.

Chief minister Ashok Gehlot will launch the scheme in tribal-dominated Dungarpur district on May 1. Each BPL family will get 25 kg of wheat every month under the scheme.

State food and fivil supplies minister Babulal Nagar said here that the novel scheme would benefit 10.46 lakh families included for the first time in the BPL list in 2002 as well as the 10.62 lakh families excluded from the 2002 list.

“The scheme will treat the families left out as having been included in the state BPL list,” he added.

The minister pointed out that Gehlot had announced the scheme in this year's Budget speech, while it was going to be implemented within 50 days of the declaration.