Ration cardholders lined up at a PDS outlet in Indira Nagar, Puducherry on Wednesday to collect free rice. | Photo Credit: S.S. KUMAR
Ration cardholders in the Union Territory have once again started receiving monthly free rice through Public Distribution System outlets after the Puducherry government, with the concurrence of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, discarded the system of Direct Benefit Transfer of cash, in lieu of free rice to the beneficiaries.
After rice was procured for distribution for the next four months, it was packed in bags, each weighing 10 kg, and distributed to beneficiaries through PDS outlets. The government decided to distribute rice in woven polypropylene bags with government seal to avoid pilferage and facilitate easy distribution at the PDS outlets. The BPL cardholders will get two 10kg bags of rice and APL families one 10kg bag. Around 5,000 tonnes of rice would be needed per month to be distributed to 3.54 lakh ration cardholders in Puducherry, an official said.
“The distribution has started in constituencies, including Indira Nagar, Kadirgamam, Thattanchavady and Mannadipet. All constituencies in the Union Territory will be covered in the coming days,” the official added.
The ration shops in the Union Territory became dysfunctional in 2019 following differences of opinion between the then Lieutenant Governor, Kiran Bedi, and the previous government, headed by Congress leader V. Narayanasamy, on several administrative matters, including the execution of government’s free rice scheme.
As the MHA concurred with the decision of Ms. Bedi to adopt DBT, the Congress government after expressing its strong displeasure, toed the Centre’s line to transfer money into the bank account of beneficiaries. The DBT continued ever after the present AINRC-BJP government came to power in 2021 Assembly election, though the Cabinet pressed for an early reversal to the old pattern of distribution of rice through PDS outlets.
After the 2024 Lok Sabha election results, the Puducherry government received approval from the MHA to revert to the system of distributing rice instead of transferring money as they felt the closure of ration shops was one of the reasons for the defeat faced by the BJP candidate in Puducherry Lok Sabha seat.
Published – January 29, 2025 08:26 pm IST
