The Congress authorities in Punjab is getting ready to fulfil its four-year- outdated pre-poll promise of offering sugar and tea leaves underneath its atta-dal scheme, a 12 months forward of subsequent Assembly polls.
The state authorities has been offering atta and dal to the beneficiaries of the scheme. The Congress get together had promised the beneficiaries that it could additionally present them tea leaves and sugar. But the federal government has not been capable of fulfil its promise until now. With only a 12 months left to go to the polls, the promise is being fulfilled.
Punjab Food and Civil Supplies Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, whereas addressing the media in Chandigarh on Monday, mentioned that the division had sought Rs 760 crore from state’s Finance Department for extending the good thing about the scheme.
Commenting on the delay in fulfilling the promise, he mentioned the federal government had put aside the funds for the scheme in final 12 months’s funds however attributable to Covid pandemic, they weren’t capable of lengthen the scheme. He mentioned they might be offering the profit from January 21 onwards. For the final three month quarter within the present fiscal, they’ve sought Rs 160 crore.
He mentioned the federal government had distributed 15 lakh dry ration packets carrying 10 kg of atta, 2 kg sugar and a couple of kg pulses to the needy and the migrant labourers through the lockdown. The state incurred an expenditure of Rs 78.2 crore from Chief Minister’s reduction Fund.
Additionally, 2 lakh dry ration packets had been additionally allotted to District Ludhiana for distribution to migrants/non-NFSA beneficiaries.
The Food and Civil Supply Minister mentioned the federal government distributed 5 kg wheat per thirty days to every NFSA beneficiary and 1 kg pulses per thirty days to every household freed from price from April 2020 to November 2020 (eight months) underneath the Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan Anna Yojana.
Nearly 95 per cent beneficiaries have availed the good thing about the identical. A complete amount of 5.35 lakh MT wheat and 27,516 MT urad complete/black channa has been distributed underneath this scheme. The migrants and non-NFSA beneficiaries had been allotted 5 kg wheat per beneficiary and 1 kg pulses per household for 2 months freed from price.
He mentioned as a way to mitigate the hardships confronted by migrants/non-NFSA beneficiaries, the state has determined to get the wheat allotted underneath the Atam Nirbhar Scheme grinded into flour. Each beneficiary was given 1 kg pulses freed from price. The complete variety of beneficiaries lined underneath this scheme was 14,14,400 i.e. 10 per cent of NFSA beneficiaries.
Ashu mentioned that the federal government has initiated the method to fill 7,219 vacancies of ration depot holders out of which 6,232 vacancies are rural and 987 vacancies are city. The licences shall be allotted on-line by means of RCMS portal (Ration Card Management System Portal) as a way to promote effectivity and transparency.
He mentioned that authorities has labored to create scientific space for storing for wheat. The FCI granted approval for development of Open Plinths storage capability of 35 LMT.
Divulging concerning the different initiatives of his division, the Cabinet Minister said that inter-state portability of ration distribution underneath One Nation One Ration Card Scheme has been applied within the state underneath which migrants from different states, on arrival in Punjab, can avail their entitlement of ration from any ration depot of their alternative.
Ashu mentioned that the state authorities has taken many steps to cut back the hole in transportation prices. Tender course of for transportation has been made aggressive and clear to extend participation by breaking cartelization of truck unions.
Talking about well timed cost to farmers, he mentioned: “We have been successful in ensuring the timely arrangement of funds for payment to farmers and other stake holders with effective coordination and liaison with the RBI, Ministry of Finance and the Consortium of Banks led by SBI.”
