Over 2.5 lakh orange card holders yet to receive ration for August
   Date :10-Sep-2020

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Staff Reporter :
 
 
THOUGH Prime Minister Narendra Modi has declared that Government will extend free ration scheme under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan AnnaYojana till November, 2.5 lakh orange ration card holders of the Nagpur city have yet not received the ration for the month of August due to lack of funds. Central Government sends fund to the State Governments for purchasing ration with the help of Food Corporation of India (FCI). However, the Food Supply Department of Nagpur city is yet to receive the fund of Rs 10 lakh for the month of August.
 
Thus, ration card holders will not get the ration for the month of September also. Amid this COVID-19 outbreak, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared to provide free ration to non-ration card-holders also and orange card holders will also regularly get rations till November. But, the project struck mid way for the people of Nagpur. Under the Minimum Common Programme of Government of India, poor families in the State were provided 10 kg of foodgrains at half the rate of normal rate.
 
The food supply officer of Nagpur city earlier stated that the department will soon get the fund for purchase of ration. However, onWednesday, he stated that the delay is going on from the Central Government and there is no issue of fund. The Hitavada is following the matter from the beginning and the statement of food supply officer is not clearing the situation and as to when 2.5 lakh orange ration card holders of Nagpur city are going to get their ration on regular basis. As per the National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA), beneficiaries are grouped into two groups that is Antyodaya and Priority House Hold (PHH). Antyodaya group beneficiaries are entitled to get 35 kg of foodgrains per card per month and PHH beneficiaries are entitled to get 5 kg of foodgrains per person per month.
 
Government of Maharashtra announced free distribution of ration to non-ration card holders during lockdown period and also declared to provide ration to Antyodaya group and orange ration card holders during lockdown. There are total 3.11 lakh ration card holders in the city in 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 and August has not yet received which will raised uncertainty for the months of August and September.