Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation (Supplyco), entrusted with the task of making market interventions and ensuring sustained supply of essentials, has decided to use rail wagons for transport of supplies even as the apex cooperative promised that there was no shortage of essentials in the State.
The corporation moved a consignment of pulses from Andhra Pradesh using rail wagons recently. The consignment was brought to the Vallarpadam hub, from where it was moved to the Supplyco depots with the help of the Container Corporation of India, said Supplyco managing director Ali Asgar Pasha.
In normal times, supplies used to be transported through roads. Lorries moved these consignments to the Supplyco depots. However, with the lockdown in force and fear of the spread of the pandemic, there was a shortage of lorries and drivers, forcing Supplyco to think of alternative transport modes.
Mr. Pasha said that there was no shortage of supplies and no cause for worries on this front. The Corporation was in the middle of distributing food kits envisaged by the State government to ration card-holders across the spectrum. The Corporation is also distributing food and water to lorry drivers who reach the State from long- distance destinations.
Food kits
He said that initially there appeared to be some confusion over the cost of the food kit, which contained 17 items. The government planned to distribute these kits to 87 lakh card-holders with an outlay of ₹756 crore. The government had also made an advance of ₹350 crore for the purpose.
The distribution of the food kits began with supplies being given to holders of yellow colour cards, which number 5.92 lakh. The next category to which the kits were given was those in the BPL category other than yellow colour card-holders. They number 31 lakh. The remaining card holders fall into the APL category and distribution of the kits to the group will be completed soon.
Donating kits
In the meanwhile, around 20,000 card-holders have come forward to donate their kits. Those wishing to donate their kits can reach out to Supplyco using SMS also.
Supplyco had initially started food kit distribution among those under surveillance for COVID-19. The Corporation had also opened two kiosks, one at Kalpetta in Wayanad and another at Edappally to provide food and water to lorry drivers.
Outlets open
Supplyco’s 1,500 outlets were also open, even on holidays, to ensure that there was no shortage of supplies, Mr. Pasha said. The Corporation was taking online orders and door delivery in Ernakulam district. The system was extended to Kottayam district later. This activity would acquire steam only after the completion of food kits distribution, he said.