The Uttar Pradesh government, taking cognisance of the difficulties faced by the beneficiaries of the public distribution system and food grains vehicles in reaching ration shops due to narrow streets, has issued an order to shift these to accessible locations.
The government, in its order, has suggested setting up of PDS shops on the basis of the module developed by Bareilly divisional commissioner to facilitate access to the fair price shops.
The order is also in line with the provisions of the National Food Security Act, 2013, which says that the state government will procure food grains at subsidised rates from the Central government’s godowns through authorised agencies and deliver it to the doorstep of the fair price shops.
Under the single stage system of doorstep delivery of food grains, it is important for the vehicles carrying food grains to reach the fair price shops easily. However, because of their location on narrow streets, both people and vehicles carrying food grains find it difficult to reach fair price shops.
An order was issued earlier also in this regard which said that gram sabhas in rural areas and nagar panchayats, municipal councils, municipal corporations in urban areas will build ration shops from their financial sources, MGNREGA etc. schemes. These constructions should be done on the basis of availability of space near panchayat buildings in rural areas and community buildings in urban areas as much as possible.
Furthermore, the order says that the Union food ministry has informed that the construction of food grains storage for the implementation of the National Food Security Act, 2013, is permissible under MGNREGA. Therefore, the state government can build food grain storages under MGNREGA and use them as fair price shops. Such buildings will be constructed only on government land.
In order to increase the viability of fair price shops, the state government has granted permission to make payment of electricity bills, broadband service under PM Wani, as well as sale of items of daily need to the common man through fair price shops.