The government will soon start distribution of 20 kg free rice to yellow ration card holders, to compensate for the livelihood loss due to the COVID- 19 lockdown.
“The Lt Governor has given financial sanction for the procurement of rice from the Food Corporation of India (FCI). A sum of ₹5.28 crore will be paid to FCI in a day. We are planning to distribute the rice by end of this week,” Minister for Social Welfare M. Kandasamy told The Hindu.
There are around 1. 68 lakh yellow ration card holders. The rice would be distributed after eliminating government servants and income tax payees from among the list of beneficiaries, he added.
Director of Civil Supplies E. Vallavan said the government had written to the Income Tax Department seeking details of income tax payers in the Union Territory. The department was yet to provide the details, he added.
Around 2,440 metric tonnes of rice would be purchased from FCI for distribution. “We are in the process of identifying schools near the Public Distribution System Outlets so that rice could be stocked and distributed to the beneficiaries from there. The card holders will be informed about the date of distribution from each of the localities,” he added.
As per the Centre’s decision, the administration had already completed distribution of free rice to red ration card holders under PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana. Under the scheme, the territorial administration had procured 9,425 metric tonnes of rice from FCI for distribution, the Minister said.