West Bengal and Centre-Food Policy Contretemps

happiness with the Centre's decision to abolish the rice zones and permit free movement of rice and paddy by private traders is understandable. On September 26, only days before the announcement of the Centre's decision, the state food minister had declared in New Delhi that it was proposed to introduce rationing all over West Bengal "as soon as possible". Only greater Calcutta, Durgapur and Asan- sol are covered by rationing at present. The Centre's decision to allow free play to private trade has left high and dry West Bengal's scheme to extend the scope of rationing, assuming the state government had been serious about it, and even jeopardised the state's chances of getting enough foodgrains from the Centre to keep going the existing public distribution arrangements.