Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, May 1: Several fair price shops in Dakshina Kannada district have not been supplied with sufficient quantities of rice and wheat for being distributed to the migrant ration card holders for the last few months. The poor people who have come to the city in search of greener pastures are as a result, made to suffer.

'One nation one ration card' is an ambitious scheme of the central government. Under the scheme, ration card holders can draw their rations through any of the fair price shops in the country. This scheme has been a boon to migrant workers. As the ration cards are linked to Aadhar cards, no irregularities happen. As such, fake ration cards have been eliminated in the system.

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Now, the failure of the government to supply ration items in sufficient quantities has put these people in dire straits. Whenever they go to the fair price shops, they are told that items meant for migrant ration card holders have not been supplied. They say that if the items remain unutilised by the ration card holders within their jurisdiction, they can give the items to them. Many migrant workers have been complaining that whenever they take off from their work by losing their salaries and approach the fair price shops, they are sent back empty-handed.

This class of people have lost their jobs on account of lockdown, and they are not able to return to hometowns. There is the fear of the lockdown continuing. They face problems as they heavily depend on ration items to survive here,

These people were shocked when the government reduced the quantum of rice issued to ration card holders from 10 kg per head to five kg. Wheat or jowar was also issued earlier. It is said that under the new system, this has been reduced further to two kg rice per head. These decisions have been delivering a severe blow to these families.

Deputy director of food and civil supplies of Dakshina Kannada, Ramya, said that care is being taken to see that there is no shortage of rice and wheat for the ration card holders. She said those having problems can contact the department office No. 0824 - 2423622. She said that from next month onward, BPL card holders will get ten kg rice per month for each member of the family.

A fair price shop staff at Padavinangady stated that for the last five months, separate stock for issuing ration items to migrant families has not been received. Mohammed Isaac, deputy director of food and civil supplies, Udupi, said that the migrant workers have to provide their details to the nearest fair price shops so that additional items can be dispatched to such societies. He said that issuance of small quantities of ration items does not pose a problem but if the quantity is heavy, unless advance information is provided, it becomes difficult.