Struggle of 2.5 lakh orange card holders continues as State yet to release funds
   Date :23-Aug-2020

orange card _1  
 
 
Staff Reporter :
 
The struggle of 2.5 lakh orange ration card holders of the city continues as the local food supply administration has not yet received the fund of Rs 10 crore from the Government of Maharashtra for purchase the ration for the month of August. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has declared that Government will extend free ration scheme under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) till the end of November.
 
Under the Minimum Common Programme of Government of India, poor families in the State were provided 10-kg of foodgrain at half the rate of normal rate. While the ration card holders are getting food grains amid this Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown situation. However, the promise to provide ration till November could not be done after just three months. There are total 3.11 lakh ration card holders in the city of which 2.5 lakh are orange card holders. Every month, Government distributes 7,600 tonnes of ration through 682 ration shops in the city. After getting grants from Government, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Department purchases ration every month.
 
As per the claims, the Department received Rs 10 crore grant for the months of April, May and June. But the grant for the month of July has not yet received. As grant of Rs 10 crore was not received, the procedure of purchase stopped and the 2.5 lakh ration card holders have not yet received their ration. The Department is also not aware about how much time it will take to get that fund in near future.