The Chhattisgarh Government has allotted 1.17 lakh quintals of iodised salt for free of cost distribution to ration card holders of the State for the month of August.
Food, Civil Supply and Consumer Protection Department has released this allotment under Public Distribution System (PDS) for all 27 districts of the State, officials stated.
Notably, the State Government has prepared a comprehensive action plan for ensuring total transparency in the preparation of ration cards besides evolving a mechanism for error-free identity of Public Distribution System (PDS) beneficiaries.
Under the action plan, the mobile, bank account and Aadhar numbers of the beneficiaries are being collected.
Officials informed that data entry of details of more than 39,40,556 PDS beneficiaries have been completed out of the popular 63,51,736 beneficiaries.
The Chhattisgarh Government has made a provision of `4,700 crore for implementation of ‘Chief Minister Food and Nutrition Security scheme’ in the State budget 2015-16.
The Government had made a provision of `1.75 crore in the form of extension of ‘Core PDS’ for its ‘Meri Marzi Scheme.’
Chhattisgarh’s Public Distribution System (PDS) model has gram panchayats, co-operative societies and women's self help groups (SHGs) operating the fair price shops, officials stated.
About 90 % of the masses are covered under Food and Nutrition Security Act which was implemented in 2013.
Chhattisgarh’s PDS under Antyodaya and Priority families schemes provides 35 kg foodgrains at Re 1 per kilo. Since June 2014 single member category ration card-holders under destitutes segment are provided 10 kg food grains free of cost.
The State Government keeping in view nutrition security is providing -grams, pulses, sugar and Iodised salt. Antyodaya and Priority families get two kg salt free of cost, two kg grams at `5 per kilo in Notified areas. In non-Notified areas two kg pulses at the rate of `10 and one kg sugar at `13 are distributed.
Under Antyodaya scheme most backward Tribes-Baiga, Birhor, PahadiKorva, Kamar, Abhujmadias, families headed by single woman, and serious patients suffering from AIDS, Sickle cell anaemia, cancer, TB afflicted, families with old and dependent; and those families whose head has been freed from bonded labour-are included under Antyodaya scheme.
landless labour families ,small farmers upto five acres of land, unorganised labour like-barbers, shoe-makers, carpenters, washermen, rickshaw-pullers families, building construction labour -coolies and other menial workers, are included in the Priority list.