Keeping an eye on the forthcoming polls to local bodies, the government proposes to supply subsidised rice and wheat to 19.6 crore Above Poverty Line (APL) families under the public distribution system. But there’s a rider: APL families have to give in writing that they will lift their monthly quota without fail.
The Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting on Wednesday unanimously endorsed the proposal on providing subsidised ration to APL families.
The CLP welcomed the proposal and appealed to Minister of State for Food and Civil Supplies Dinesh Gundu Rao to implement it at the earliest. The proposal would be placed before the Cabinet soon, and it would be executed in the next two months, sources in the Food and Civil Supplies Department told The Hindu .
To check diversion of foodgrains, it was decided to re-introduce the unit system for rations for BPL families, and food items would be distributed based on the size of the family.
For instance, a single-member family will get 5 kg of rice, while an eight-member family will get 40 kg of rice per month.
“In the unit system, the larger the size of the family, the larger will be the quota,” sources said.
At present, single-member, two-member and three- and more members in a family are receiving 10 kg, 20 kg and 30 kg, respectively, under the Anna Bhagya scheme.
A sum of Rs. 4,000 crore had been earmarked for the department in 2014-15, and it is expected to spend Rs. 2,800 crore.
