Bengaluru: Below Poverty Line (BPL) ration cardholders will soon have the option of redeeming coupons for rice and other foodgrain of their choice at general provision stores, if unhappy with the quality of ration supplies.
In what appears a departure from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s pet scheme ‘Anna Bhagya’ or rice at highly subsidised rates, the department of Food and Civil Supplies has adopted the new method citing huge shortfall in availability of rice and complaints about its poor quality.
Speaking to mediapersons in Bengaluru on Wednesday, Food and Civil Supplies Minister U T Khader said that the department would launch a pilot project in three cities – Bengaluru, Mangaluru and Mysuru in January 2017. BPL cardholders will be given coupons, which they may redeem at provision stores for foodgrain.
The objective of the new exercise is to give the beneficiary the freedom of choice while buying foodgrain, curb pilferage and also give impetus to locally grown foodgrain, claimed Khader.
The coupons may be collected from franchise centres. For a five-member family card, the cardholder will have the option of purchasing rations worth anywhere between Rs 800 and Rs 1,000. However, the coupon facility will be optional as the existing system of supplying subsidised foodgrain through ration shops will continue.
Now, 5 kg of rice is issued to an individual beneficiary. One kg of rice costs Rs 27. A family also gets 1 kg of sugar (at Rs 20 a kg). In the open market, the prices are much higher.
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