In the wake COVID-19 cases being reported from different parts of the State, the Food and Civil Supplies Department has decided to provide ration for April and May to all ration cardholders in the first week of April at one go to avoid frequent visit of people to ration shops.
Food and Civil Supplies Minister K. Gopalaiah on Saturday held a meeting with department officials and said two months’ quota of 10 kg of rice and 2 kg of wheat would be given to each member of BPL family for free in the first week of April. There are more than 20,000 ration shops in the State.
Antodaya cardholders will get two months’ quota of 70 kg of rice in April for free. He said all ration shops would remain closed on Sunday as people of the State have to observe Janata Curfew on Sunday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. to fight against COVID-19. The shops will remain open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday and rest of days in April and May, he said. The Minister said APL category family have to pay ₹15 a kg of rice and wheat each.
Like other departments, the Food and Civil Supplies department too has stopped using biometric system to contain the spread of COVID-19. Instead of biometric, a member of the family having ration card will get an OTP on their mobile phone which should be shown at the ration shop to avail of the foodgrains, he said.