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New scheme for "food coupon" in Bihar

Move to check blackmarketing of PDS foodgrains

PATNA: With an objective to check black marketing of foodgrains from public distribution system (PDS) outlets, the Bihar Government on Monday announced introducing a new scheme of distributing "food coupon" to the beneficiaries living below poverty line, a plan running successfully in Rajasthan.

"The PDS outlets will provide foodgrains to the beneficiaries against the coupons. The shopkeepers will have to submit the coupons before lifting the next quota of supply", Chief Minister Nitish Kumar told reporters emerging from his favourite "Janata ke darbar me CM" programme. Mr. Kumar said the move was planned to check black marketing of foodgrains from the PDS shops to the sorrow of the poor beneficiaries. There had been a number of complaints of ration shop owners "befooling" the customers by making false entries of foodgrains more than provided to the beneficiaries in their register and pumping the excess into open market for earning handsome cash, Mr. Kumar said regretting the poor run of the scheme in the State so far.

He said detailed talks for execution of the new programme had already been done with the officials and the schemes will come into operation from next week.

Mr. Kumar said the system of issuing "food coupon" has been running successfully in Rajasthan. "So we also decided to introduce the scheme in Bihar", he added.- PTI

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