By Express News Service
Published: 23rd January 2015 06:00 AM
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a bid to easen ration card renewal procedures, the State Government on Thursday extended the camps being conducted for the purpose up to March 30.
The government had initially decided to wind up the camps, which had opened on January 19, on March 4, but absence of facilities and the resultant serpentine queues have forced the deadline extension.
How this extension will affect the enforcement of the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in Kerala also remains to be seen since the state had agreed to enforce it by March 31.
The number of cardholders attending each camp has been fixed between 1000 and 1200, and more cameras and staff have been provided to handle the rush, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Anoop Jacob said. Additionally, APL cardholders need just provide the Aadhaar number in the form along with a photocopy of the Aadhaar card to get the cards renewed.
However, this facility will not be applicable to cardholders who wish to be enrolled in the ‘Priority Sector’ which replaces BPL/AAY cards once NFSA is enforced. They will have to provide the relevant details in the form.
‘’The camps will be open up to 5 p.m. every day and will wind up only after the photograph of the last person is also taken. The cardholders have to watch out for the camp dates in regional news and information given out from the ration shops,’’ Anoop Jacob said. ‘’We had earlier decided to complete the distribution of the new ration cards by July. There is no change in that deadline,’’ he said.
Under NFSA, the senior-most woman member of each household will be issued ration cards. If she cannot attend the camp, the next in seniority can be deputed to attend.
As many as 1.54 crore people in the state will come under the ‘priority sector’ once NFSA is enforced. The rest - 1.77 crore - will be in the ‘general category.’ In fact, 54 lakh more people in the state will get ‘priority sector’ benefits once NFSA is implemented.