The government plans to provide additional cold storage facilities for potatoes and other perishable vegetables and a scheme to set up such storages in all states and union territories was being implemented, he told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply.

The government had no plans at present to exclude higher income groups (HIG) from access to the public distribution system (PDS), minister of state for food and consumer affairs Satyapal Singh Yadav said.

The minister said HIG could not be excluded from accessing PDS due to lack of consensus among various state governments.

Moreover, a conference of chief ministers and state food ministers had on September 30,1997 decided that there should be no reduction in allocation to families above poverty line.

This was since the chief ministers felt suitablemeasures had to be taken to ensure availability of essential items at reasonable prices to affluent section, Yadav said.

Centre also did not have any proposal to abolish subsidy on fertilisers, minister of state for chemicals and fertilisers AK Patel said.