By Debjani Dutta
Published: 29th May 2015 06:02 AM
PUDUCHERRY:The Puducherry government is planning to procure rice to supply to the ration card holders under the Public Distribution Scheme (PDS), switching over from the Cash-for-Rice scheme introduced earlier.
The Puducherry Agro Products, Food and Civil Supplies Corporation (PAPSCO) on Thursday called for tenders to procure 36,840 metric tonnes of single boiled rice to be supplied ration card holders in Puducherry and Karaikal. There is a monthly requirement of 2,500 metric tonnes of rice for Puducherry region (for the 2.5 lakh ration card holders) and 570 metric tonnes for Karaikal (for the 57,000 card holders). A nine-member selection committee headed by Director of Civil Supplies would award the tenders on June 11.
Direct cash transfer had kicked off in February, after linking the bank accounts with Aadhar-based ration cards, by way of crediting `600 to the bank account of ration card holders for the months of October and November, instead of providing 20 kg of single boiled rice free of cost for the two months.
Through direct cash transfers the government sought to plug corruption in the PDS. Instead of giving subsidised food, the system envisages to provide beneficiaries money to buy it at market rates.
People, particularly those in rural areas, found it difficult to get the money as they had to travel some distance to reach the bank and then go to the market and make purchases. There are fewer bank branches than ration shops. As against the 400 odd ration shops, there are only around 100 bank branches.
The Opposition parties including the Congress, AIADMK, DMK, CPI and CPM were critical of the scheme and alleged that the cash provided would be spent by the male heads of families in liquor shops.
Under the free supply of rice only around 60 to 70 per cent of the card holders had took rice from fair price shops and the government also supplied rice catering to this percentage.
However, cash transfers involved a greater expenditure as the Civil Supplies department had to provide for all 3.07 lakh card holders, so the cash-for-rice scheme was scrapped.