Thiruvananthapuram |The Kerala Food Department on Monday denied any hike in the price or reduction in the normal quota of ration rice during Onam, terming reports that the price had risen from Rs 10.90 to Rs 26 per kg as "completely untrue".
The department said a change in the availability of rice under the Centre's tide-over quota had affected the supply of special rice during the festival season.
According to the department, more than 6,459 metric tonnes of rice had been reduced from the tide-over allocation since January 2026.
While the state earlier received 33,294 metric tonnes of rice, it is now receiving 26,835 metric tonnes of rice and 6,459 metric tonnes of wheat.
The department attributed the change to the previous Left government, saying the Centre had made the change following repeated demands from the then government.
Special rice distributed during festival seasons was sourced from the tide-over quota, it said.
The department said the previous government had sought a reduction in the rice allocation in December 2025 and obtained an equivalent quantity of wheat instead, resulting in a shortage of rice for the special Onam distribution.
"To compensate for the reduction in the tide-over quota, additional rice is being made available to blue, white and brown cardholders at Rs 26, over and above the normal ration quota," the department said.
It said OMSS rice was purchased at Rs 23.20 per kg and would be sold to eligible cardholders at Rs 26 per kg. OMSS rice refers to surplus foodgrain stocks sold by the Food Corporation of India through the Open Market Sale Scheme.
The department said the move was aimed at providing relief to people during Onam despite limited stocks.
The department said 1,65,932 metric tonnes of rice and 24,506 metric tonnes of wheat had been brought into the public distribution system this month to help control prices during the festival season.
For yellow cardholders, the normal quota of 30 kg of rice and up to five kg of wheat provided last Onam has not been reduced, it said.
Pink cardholders continue to receive four kg of rice and one kg of wheat per member. However, the five kg of special rice supplied to each family last year at Rs 10.90 per kg could not be provided this year due to the reduction in the tide-over rice allocation.
As an alternative, three kg of OMSS rice is being made available at Rs 26 per kg.
Blue cardholders are being provided two kg of rice per person at Rs 4 per kg, besides special allocations of three kg of rice at Rs 10.90 per kg and two kg of wheat at Rs 8.70 per kg.
They can also get 10 kg of OMSS rice per family at Rs 26 per kg.
White cardholders will receive seven kg of rice at Rs 10.90 per kg, up to four kg of atta at Rs 17 per kg and two kg of wheat at Rs 8.70 per kg. In addition, 10 kg of OMSS rice per family will be available at Rs 26 per kg.
Brown cardholders will get two kg of rice at Rs 10.90 per kg, two kg of wheat at Rs 8.70 per kg and one kg of atta at Rs 17 per kg.
They will be eligible for 10 kg of OMSS rice per card at Rs 26 per kg.
The Food Department maintained that the Rs 26 price applies only to the additional OMSS rice and does not represent an increase in the price of the normal ration rice quota.
