Maharashtra to give grocery package at ₹100 for Diwali to ration card holders
Premium- The package will contain 1 kg of rawa (sooji), groundnuts, edible oil and yellow lentils.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra cabinet on 4 October decided to provide a package of groceries at ₹100 to holders of the ration card in the state for the upcoming Diwali festival.
The package will contain 1 kg of rawa (sooji), groundnuts, edible oil and yellow lentils.
"There are 1.70 crore families or seven crore people who have ration cards and are eligible to buy foodgrains from state-run fair price shops," the statement said.
The Department of Food and Civil Supply and Consumer Protection moved the proposal.
According to the Reserve bank of India's consumer price index, the country's retail inflation rate is 7 per cent.
The state government's decision to offer essential items at subsidised rates will enable the economically-weaker sections to prepare snacks and sweets for Diwali using the package of groceries. Notably, many civic and local governing bodies, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, in the state are due for elections in the coming months.
A week ago, the state government released a new order that states that, if a transgender person's name is registered with the State AIDS Control Committee, their application for a ration card will be taken into consideration in terms of residency verification and identity proof. They will also be taken into account if they have a voter ID card that lists them as transgender people.
"According to the procedure issued by the order of 2013 to third-gender citizens, they are being given relaxation in obtaining identity proof and residential proof, considering the difficulties faced in obtaining written proof. The authorities would not ask the third gender people to get the ration card," the government statement said.
With PTI inputs.
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