HASSAN, October 14, 2014
Updated: October 14, 2014 23:43 IST
No foodgrains for five lakh BPL cardholders in urban areas
SATHISH G. T.
‘Beneficiaries fail to furnish documents: Minister
Supply of foodgrains for more than five lakh BPL cardholders in urban areas has been stopped in the last two months, said Dinesh Gundu Rao, Minister of State for Food and Civil Supplies, here on Tuesday.
Mr. Gundu Rao was speaking to press persons after reviewing the status of various programmes related to his department in the district.
The department had asked the card holders to submit copies of electoral photo identity and Aadhaar cards. Nearly 19 lakh cardholders had not submitted the records. “The department has so far suspended more than five lakh cards temporarily and stopped issuing food grains to the beneficiaries concerned. As the first step, we have suspended the cards only in urban localities.,” he said.
Caste-based survey
The caste-based socio-economic survey being conducted by the State government would help the department weed out bogus cards. “ The survey is being conducted based on our database.
The survey results will be shared with our department, which will help in identifying bogus cardholders,” Mr. Gundu Rao said.
The department would discourage allotting fair price depots to private individuals. Fair price depots would be allotted to only cooperative societies and women self-help groups from now on.
“At present, over 1,000 shops are vacant in the State for various reasons. Keeping the formula of 500 cards for one shop in urban areas and 300 in rural areas, the Deputy Commissioners have been authorised to allot them immediately to interested cooperative societies. Besides, the government will open new shops, wherever required,” he said.
Millets
The department wanted to provide millets to BPL cardholders. “We have decided to procure millets from growers at Rs. 2,000 a quintal from December this year. The district-level officers have to set up procurement centres to millets from farmers,” he said.