In a major reprieve to the people battling the Covid-19 pandemic, the state government has decided to dole out free ration to around 8.71 crore beneficiaries under the public distribution system (PDS) from Saturday, officials said.
тАЬWe have sufficient allocation of foodgrains from the Food Corporation of India (FCI). The stateтАЩs quota of foodgrains is being lifted and carried to the PDS retailers to ensure smooth distribution of free grains,тАЭ said a senior officer of the state food and consumer protection department.
He said that there were some issues from the PDS dealers, which were being sorted out. However, its secretary Vinay Kumar could not be contacted for his comments.
The PDS outlets have lifted a sufficient amount of wheat and rice from the state food corporation (SFC) godowns to launch free distribution of foodgrains for May, as announced by chief minister Nitish Kumar earlier this week.
The Central government has already announced free distribution of 5-kilogram of wheat and rice per unit to all ration card holders for the month of May and June under the Pradhan Mantri Kalyan Yojna. An equal amount of foodgrains in equal proportions would be distributed free of cost from the stateтАЩs scheme.
With this, a family of five is entitled to 20 kilograms of rice and 30 kilograms of wheat per month. Unlike last year, however, the beneficiaries would not be getting pulse this time. Last year, each person received 500 grams of pulse free of cost under the Central government scheme.
As per the rough estimate, the FCI had allocated around 8.70 lakh metric tonne of wheat and rice for their lifting by May 31. The amount of foodgrains not lifted within the deadline would be adjusted in the next monthтАЩs quota and a suitable deduction would be made in the next monthтАЩs allotment, said an FCI officer.
There are around 55,000 listed PDS retail outlets across 38 districts in Bihar. However, about 47,000 outlets are currently functional.
The number of beneficiaries under PDS stands at 8.71 crores while the amount of ration for free distribution is 25 kilogram per unit. Foodgrain allocation by the FCI for May is 8.70 lakh MT. The total number of working PDS outlets is 47,000 while the deadline for the final lifting of the May quota from FCI is May 31.
Amid pandemic, Bihar to launch free ration scheme under public distribution system (PLAYBACK)
Subhash Pathak/HTC
PATNA
In a major reprieve to the people battling the Covid-19 pandemic, the state government has decided to dole out free ration to around 8.71 crore beneficiaries under the public distribution system (PDS) from Saturday, officials said.
тАЬWe have sufficient allocation of foodgrains from the Food Corporation of India (FCI). The stateтАЩs quota of foodgrains is being lifted and carried to the PDS retailers to ensure smooth distribution of free grains,тАЭ said a senior officer of the state food and consumer protection department.
He said that there were some issues from the PDS dealers, which were being sorted out. However, its secretary Vinay Kumar could not be contacted for his comments.
The PDS outlets have lifted a sufficient amount of wheat and rice from the state food corporation (SFC) godowns to launch free distribution of foodgrains for May, as announced by chief minister Nitish Kumar earlier this week.
The Central government has already announced free distribution of 5-kilogram of wheat and rice per unit to all ration card holders for the month of May and June under the Pradhan Mantri Kalyan Yojna. An equal amount of foodgrains in equal proportions would be distributed free of cost from the stateтАЩs scheme.
With this, a family of five is entitled to 20 kilograms of rice and 30 kilograms of wheat per month. Unlike last year, however, the beneficiaries would not be getting pulse this time. Last year, each person received 500 grams of pulse free of cost under the Central government scheme.
As per the rough estimate, the FCI had allocated around 8.70 lakh metric tonne of wheat and rice for their lifting by May 31. The amount of foodgrains not lifted within the deadline would be adjusted in the next monthтАЩs quota and a suitable deduction would be made in the next monthтАЩs allotment, said an FCI officer.
There are around 55,000 listed PDS retail outlets across 38 districts in Bihar. However, about 47,000 outlets are currently functional.
The number of beneficiaries under PDS stands at 8.71 crores while the amount of ration for free distribution is 25 kilogram per unit. Foodgrain allocation by the FCI for May is 8.70 lakh MT. The total number of working PDS outlets is 47,000 while the deadline for the final lifting of the May quota from FCI is May 31.
