Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Ration card distribution from July

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The categorisation of ration card holders into above poverty line (APL) and below poverty line (BPL) will be completed by June 30. The District Collectors will be the appellate authority for complaints over the categorisation.

This was announced at a meeting of the Food Advisory and Vigilance Committee chaired by Minister for Food and Civil Supplies C. Divakaran said here on Friday.

The Minister told reporters after the meeting that the distribution of ration cards would be taken up in July and August after hearing the appeals.

Mr. Divakaran said electronic balances were being introduced in the wholesale and retail ration shops as part of the first phase of modernisation of the shops. A Rs.68-crore project for the second phase had been submitted to the Centre for assistance.

He said the government had increased the commission of the ration dealers on the basis of the report of the Commission set up for recommending revision of the rate. The commission for wholesale dealers had been increased from Rs.18 to Rs.24 a quintal and retail dealers from Rs.24 to Rs.33.

He said Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan would go to Delhi early next month to press the Centre for increasing the rice quota of the State. The Andhra Pradesh Civil Supplies Corporation had agreed to supply rice to the State at its procurement price.

The ban on movement of rice out of the State had been lifted. Rice shops opened by the State Civil Supplies Corporation in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode achieved turnover of Rs.1 lakh a day.

The Minister said the committee had observed that the efforts taken by the Government to streamline the public distribution system had shown results.

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