Right after receiving the gunny bag containing boiled rice, 45-year-old Janaki M. from Mulihitlu opened it to confirm whether the bag contained what she needed. “This is what I had asked for,” Ms. Janaki said. She was obviously happy that she had received much more rice than she used to get at the ration shop all these years.
Ms. Janaki, a maid servant, has a family of 10 members. “I was getting 20 kg of rice for a few months. Two months ago the quantity was reduced to 15 kg.” With 30 kg, she now has to buy an additional 10 kg of rice to meet the monthly requirement.
Ms. Janaki was among the 10 beneficiaries to have received 30 kg of rice at the rate of Re.1 per kg under the Anna Bhagya scheme that was launched in the State on Wednesday. These 10 beneficiaries received rice at a function held at the Town Hall in which District In-charge Minister B. Ramanath Rai took part.
As many as 1.79 lakh below poverty line and Antyodaya (poorest among poor) cardholders will be covered under the scheme in the district.
Speaking at the function, Mr. Rai said the government was fulfilling the assurance made to the people during elections. The Anna Bhagya Scheme of the State and Food Security Bill proposed by the Centre were bold initiatives that would provide the much needed social security to marginalised people.
Mangalore South MLA J.R. Lobo and Mangalore North MLA Moiuddin Bawa commended the efforts of Food and Civil Supplies Minister Dinesh Gundurao and the department staff for making arrangements to implement the scheme in earnest. Deputy Commissioner N. Prakash, Chief Executive Officer of zilla panchayat K.N. Vijayaprakash, and MCC Commissioner Ajit Kumar Hegde took part in the function.
Mangalore: Some persons are not aware that they are not eligible to get their quota of rice because of the cancellation of their card. 60-year-old Poovathi from Goorgudde, a below poverty line cardholder, wanted to know as to why she had not been getting rice for the last two months. “I visited the ration shop twice, but the shopkeeper refused to give me ration,” she said.
Ms. Poovathi then approached Deputy Director of Food and Civil Supplies C. S. Sharanabasappa. It was found that her card was cancelled because she had failed to submit her electricity bill. He then directed his staff to arrange for a form for the issuance of a new card to Ms. Poovathi.
