Rice assistance for poor slashed

TASIKMALAYA, West Java: Hundreds of poor people in Cilampunghilir village in the West Java regency of Tasikmalaya have complained they have received only half a kilogram of rice rather than the 20 kilograms (kg) the government had promised.

"At first we were so glad to hear that each family could get 20 kg of rice and buy each kilo for Rp 1,000 only. It would have eased our burden a lot. But now we're getting just half a kilo," one of the villagers said on Friday.

The village authorities said that the distribution of rice under the rice for the poor program (raskin) had been reduced due to supply shortages at the appointed warehouses in Ciamis. They then divided the limited supplies available to ensure that each family could enjoy the assistance.

According to the National Family Planning Coordinating Board, there were 139,000 poor families in the regency, but only 29,712 families had benefited from the assistance.

Many of the poor families suggested the humanitarian program be stopped as they considered it existed purely as a government public relations exercise. --Antara