The Hindu : Karnataka News : New PDS to be launched in July

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 29, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka

New PDS to be launched in July

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: The new public distribution system will be launched in July targeting around 70 lakh families living below the poverty line (BPL) as the on-going survey in this regard is expected to be completed in two months.

Another important decision that has been taken is to distribute ragi in the Old Mysore region and jowar in the northern districts to those with new BPL cards.

The Food and Civil Supplies Minister, H.S. Mahadeva Prasad, told presspersons here on Thursday that the unit system will be introduced this time. BPL families will be issued photo ID cards from June 15, which can be used for other purposes also. The survey will be over by May 10 except in Bangalore where it will be confined to pockets inhabited by the poor.

The report of the survey will be ready by the end of June, he added.

Kiosks

The Minister said kiosks will be set up in all the 5,600 gram panchayats in the State at a cost of Rs. 2 lakh each to issue food coupons for getting ration on payment of a nominal fee.

Each of the kiosks being opened for the first time in the country will get a subsidy of Rs. 50,000 from the Union Government and Rs. 25,000 from the State Government.

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