The Union Government has restored the original monthly full quota of rice to the State at 3,15,035 tonnes, thus withdrawing the cut of over 30,000 tonnes it had imposed recently following "incorrect feedback' that rice is available in plenty in Andhra Pradesh. The decision to withdraw the cut and ensure the original monthly full quota to Andhra Pradesh was taken by the Union Government after a delegation of the State led by Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy made a strong plea to Union Food & Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar for the retention. The delegation is stated to have impressed upon the Union Minister that the Rs. 2 a kg scheme introduced recently for the poor would suffer if the quota was stopped. Civil Supplies Minister Kasu Krishna Reddy, who was in the delegation, told The Hindu on his return to the city that the rice quota was cut under the wrong impression that Andhra Pradesh was a rice-growing State and that rice was freely available in the State in the open market at reasonable prices. Such a cut was imposed on other States like Punjab too. The delegation included Mallu Ravi, Andhra Pradesh representative in New Delhi and Civil Supplies Commissioner Poonam Malakondaiah. Mr Krishna Reddy disclosed that the Union Government had finally confirmed the monthly quotas of wheat and sugar to the State at 2,754 tonnes and 17,715 tonnes respectively. The kerosene quota to the State, however, had been enhanced by 4,363 kilolitres a month. With this, the State would get a quantity of 55,368 kilolitres a month.