Without discriminating against the rich or poor, the Chhattisgarh government has issued ration cards to more than 2.5 crore people through which ration is provided under the Public Distribution System (PDS).
To ensure food security to all, the government is benefitting more than 2.5 crore people registered in the state through 69.67 lakh ration cards, an official communication said on Wednesday.
In 25 districts, the facility of purchasing rations from any fair price shop of their choice has been made available to the ration cardholders.
A total of 13,304 government fair price shops are operating in the state, out of which e-POS machines facility is made available in 12,314 shops.
A Food Department official said that according to the Chief Minister, ration cards are being issued to cover 100 per cent of families including the deprived, poor and common families.
At present, 69.67 lakh ration cards are in operation. Of these, 20.73 lakh cards have been issued to Scheduled Tribes, 9.62 lakh cards to Scheduled Castes, 32.73 lakh cards to OBCs and 6.41 lakh ration cards to the general category.
Under the PDS, 54.62 lakh ration cards have been issued in rural areas and 14.89 cards in urban areas.
Officers said 11.15 lakh new ration cards have been issued in the last three years.
It has now been decided to distribute fortified rice in 12 aspirational and high load districts.