Lashing out at naysayers of welfare schemes, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has stressed on the relevance of such initiatives to insulate the public from the impacts of rising inflation in the country.
Speaking at the State-level launch of the free Onam kit distribution here on Monday, Mr. Vijayan said the government’s pro-people measures especially through the public distribution system have brought immense relief for large sections.
“The country has been witnessing the highest levels of inflation during the last three decades. The extent of price rise has been highlighted by recent reports of the Reserve Bank of India. The gradual withdrawal of States from the public distribution system as well as the enactment of legislation aimed to further the interests of corporate firms have pushed people into dire straits. It is under such circumstances that the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government has presented a better alternative to ensure food security,” he said.
The government utilised ₹9,702.46 crore for its market intervention measures undertaken during the last two years to control the price of essential commodities.
The distribution of Onam kits through ration outlets will get under way on Tuesday and continue until September 7. The kits will be distributed to Antyodaya Anna Yojana cardholders (yellow cards) through ration shops on August 23 and August 24 and Priority Household cardholders (pink card) from August 25 to 27. Kits for Non-Priority Subsidy cards (blue) can be collected from August 29 to August 31 and those for the Non-Priority Non-Subsidy cards (white), from September 1 to 3. Those who are unable to collect kits until then can avail themselves of the same from September 4 to 7.
According to Mr. Vijayan, the kits will be distributed among 37,634 beneficiaries in 890 welfare institutions. Kits will also be delivered to the 119 tribal settlements in the State during the festive season.
Presiding over the function, Food and Civil Supplies Minister G.R. Anil said the government would spend around ₹425 crore to distribute the kits to 87 lakh card holders. The 14 items that have been included in the food kits have been sourced from various MSME (micro, small and medium enterprises) in the State.
General Education Minister V. Sivankutty, Transport Minister Antony Raju, Thiruvananthapuram Mayor Arya Rajendran, and district panchayat president D. Suresh Kumar, also participated in the function.
