PANAJI
Officials of the Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs department who are in the process of working out the logistics of introducing more commodities into the public distribution system’s (PDS) monthly quotas for ration card holding families have said that the proposal will require clearance from the Central government.
Currently, the PDS scheme sells at highly subsidized rates through fair price (ration) shops only rice and wheat to entitled beneficiaries under the below-poverty (BPL) and above-poverty line (APL) categories of ration card holders.
The department now wants to add oil, wheat flour and possibly salt and is conducting a survey among ration card holders to ascertain the feasibility and demand for these commodities.
The PDS scheme is sponsored by the Centre under the food security law and foodgrains are supplied through the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and any modifications at the State level will require approval from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, the official said.
Meanwhile, there is some relief in store for owners of fair price shops, many of who face losses and have been threatening to close shop. Fair price shop owners will soon get a monthly grant of Rs 9,500 to tide over operational expenses.
The department is proposing to raise these funds by partially hiking the price of rice for APL card holders from Rs 12.50 to Rs 16.20 per kilo, the official said.
