Madikeri: The number of ration cards under the public distribution system (PDS) in Kodagu district, after the process of re-survey, has gone up by 15,682 in all categories, Deputy Director of the Department of Food and Civil Supplies, B.B. Devoor, has said.

The re-survey process was set in motion last year following complaints of anomalies in the distribution of cards. It included undeserving persons availing themselves of the benefits. The cards concerning Anna Antyodaya Yojna (AAY), Akshaya (below poverty line groups is renamed as Akshaya), both with LPG and non-LPG groups, above poverty line (APL) and Annapoorna categories, were considered during the re-survey.

Mr. Devoor said here on Thursday that temporary PDS coupon distributions had started in Kodagu after the completion of the re-survey process. As many as 951 AAY cards, 10,996 Akshaya cards, 12,605 APL cards and 107 Annapoorna cards had been distributed. Annapoorna cards would be given only to persons aged above 65 and were insolvent.

Eligibility

As many as 40 such persons were eligible in Madikeri city and 395 in Virajpet taluk. None were identified in Somwarpet taluk and the rest of the Madikeri taluk. Each beneficiary in this category would be given 10 kg of free rice every month. Temporary coupons were being distributed at Rs. 5 a coupon to the beneficiaries. It would go on till October.

The Government had assigned the work of photographing each member of a family, aged above 12, for issuing permanent laminated cards after October, Mr. Devoor said. Temporary coupons were being distributed to eliminate discrepancies, for which the cut-off period had been fixed as October. All families would have permanent laminated cards after October.

A grievance management cell would be constituted soon after the distribution of temporary coupons to do away with errors such as names, age, profession and other details of the people in a family.

Aggrieved families could hand over the applications containing corrections along with a fee of Re. 1 to the grievances management cell for effecting corrections, which would later be entered into the permanent laminated card, he said. The laminated card would cost Rs. 45 each, Mr. Devoor said.

Annapoorna beneficiaries got 10 kg of free rice while those in the AAY category were eligible for 25 kg rice at a cost of Rs. 3 per kg and six kg wheat at Rs. 2 a kg. Those in the below poverty line category got 20 kg of rice at Rs. 3 per kg and one kg to five kg of wheat at Rs. 3 a kg. The above poverty line beneficiaries received only kerosene, not foodgrains, he said.

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