The Madhya Pradesh Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Minister Vijay Shah has said that rations would be supplied to beneficiaries on the basis of their thumb impressions from the next financial year with the objective of curbing black marketing of foodgrains.
While addressing the media while presenting the annual report card of his departments, Shah said, “This mechanism would be launched in Bhopal, Indore and Khandwa districts from next year.
The Government wanted to begin the programme this year but necessary arrangements could not be made.” While recounting the achievements of his departments, he said that intermediate links for supplying rations at fair price shops has been done away with enabling easy availability of information concerning these shops.
Shah said that fair price shops would be open from 10 am to 5 pm. Complaints regarding unavailability of food-grains could be made at the Chief Minister’s helpline.
He said that the complaint regarding a consumer not receiving the ration supply for a particular month if he is not able to reach the shop has been redressed. A decision has been taken to supply rations to such consumers for two months at the beginning of the next month.
The Minister said that the Government has taken up the matter of less quantity of rice with the Centre, which increased the State’s quota from 5.5 lakh million tonne to eight lakh million tonne.
He said that the regime was providing foodgrain at `1 per kg to 1.5 crore families in the State. He said that samples from petrol pumps would now be sent for examinations to laboratories recognised by the Centre besides the laboratory of the company concerned.
likewise, 62,730 fair price shops were inspected following which 2,401 cases were made and material worth `24.23 lakh seized. He said that a foodgrain storage capacity of 2.35 lakh tonne has been built while 65,000 tonne capacity storage was under construction.