Social Welfare Minister M. Kandasamy on Monday requested Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi to ensure distribution of free rice to Above Poverty Line (excluding government servants and income tax payees) card holders through ration shop employees.
The method adopted for distribution of rice to Below Poverty Line card holders should not be followed for APL families as the procedure was time consuming, he said in a note sent to the Lt. Governor.
The decision to pack the rice in a common school centre before being home delivered with the assistance of ministerial staff delayed the entire process. The distribution method invited adverse criticism from legislators and the media. The home delivery of rice was still continuing, Mr. Kandasamy said.
Hence, the distribution of rice to APL families should be done through ration shop employees who are familiar with the locality. The money spent for packing and transportation could be used for providing the pending salary of ration shop staff, the Minister added.