India, July 22 -- With the rise in Maharashtra's population, the state government has requested the Centre to increase foodgrain allocation under the public distribution system (PDS) to cover the higher number of potential beneficiaries. "The population of the state was around 1.13 million then and has now crossed 1.27 million," said an official from the food and civil supplies department.

The government is also mulling a revision in the eligibility parameters, from the existing annual income ceiling of Rs.46,000 and Rs.59,000 for rural and urban families respectively to Rs.1.5 lakh and Rs.1.8 lakh. The ceiling was fixed in 2013 under the National Food Security Act, and the government believes it is time to correct it.

Over 71.6 million...