Number of poor entitled to cheap rice increases

JAKARTA (JP): The city administration has increased the number of poor families entitled to buy cheap rice through the central government's crash program beginning in October to 30,000 from the previous 23,285.

The head of the logistics and distribution division of the City's Regional Economic Bureau, Djodjo Sutardjo, said the hike was made based on a recommendation from the Coordinating Ministry of People's Welfare and Poverty Eradication.

According to the ministry, the families to be included in the program -- which offers a 10-kilogram rice package worth Rp 10,000 (90 U.S. cents) every month for nine consecutive months -- would not only be those living under the poverty line but also those residing on riversides, near railway tracks and garbage dumps, he said.

"We've been told by the ministry that other people might become jealous which in turn could trigger renewed unrest in the capital if they were rejected from the crash program," he said.

"Even those who do not posses Jakarta identification card are also being included in the program," Djodjo said.

The rice to be distributed in the program would be that shipped recently from Japan, he said.

Djodjo did not describe the quality of the rice but it is believed the crop is medium grade, which is now about Rp 3,500 per kilogram in the markets.

The head of each family is to be given a coupon with his or her photograph on it. The coupons, he said, would be distributed by the National Family Planning Board.

Djodjo, however, did not explain who would pay for the photographs.

The program has already been introduced in stages nationwide. It started in areas surrounding Jakarta in early July with a limited number of people.

It is expected to cover about 1.5 million poor families in 53 regencies in 15 of the country's 27 provinces. (ind)