It may go off sooner than later. To appease agitating farmers and CMs of northern states, food minister Shanta Kumar, who comes from Himachal himself, has agreed to start rice procurement from September 21. Now, as he says, there are three options to clear the stocks rapidfire: One, give it free to the poor - not a workable idea in the prevailing corruption-ridden system, and stocks will be back in the market after lining some pockets. Two, give it on food-for-work schemes - good idea, but stocks have to be shunted onwards to respective states, propelling both cost and time upwards. Three, give 10,000 tonnes to the 792 MPs to redistribute in their respective constituencies - not a bad idea but again plagued by leakage and lack of interest.