Ahead of Onam, Kerala clears long pending ration card backlog, issues 73,024 in 100 days
Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 3
The Kerala government on Monday claimed to have achieved one of the biggest milestones under its 100 day action programme by completing the distribution of 73,024 new Priority Ration Cards and 2,000 Antyodaya Anna Yojana cards within the promised timeframe.
The V.D.Satheesan government was sworn in on May 18.
Launching the state-level distribution of the new cards here, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Anoop Jacob said the exercise had cleared a large backlog of pending applications and ensured that eligible families received their ration cards without further delay.
According to the minister, the Food Department had originally targeted the distribution of 50,000 Priority Ration Cards.
Faster scrutiny and processing of applications, however, enabled the department to raise the figure to 73,024, surpassing its original goal by more than 23,000 cards.
The minister said the initiative followed the Chief Minister's directive to all departments to roll out people-centric welfare programmes within the first 100 days of the new government's tenure.
Clearing the long-pending ration card applications was identified as one of the department's priority tasks.
The newly issued card holders will begin receiving priority ration benefits from this month itself, he said, adding that all other projects undertaken by the Food Department, including those of Supplyco and the Legal Metrology Department, would also be completed within the 100-day deadline.
Seeking to reassure the public amid the state's financial challenges, the minister said welfare schemes would not be affected.
To strengthen the government's Onam market intervention programme, Rs 253 crore has been sanctioned for Supplyco to supply subsidised foodgrains and essential commodities to ration card holders across all categories.
Special Onam fairs and market intervention outlets will function across Kerala in the coming weeks.
Card holders will also be permitted to lift their September ration quota during August, easing festival demand.
Supplyco's Maveli Stores will sell rice at Rs 27 per kg during the Onam season.
The minister also announced that new marketing strategies would be introduced to strengthen the Civil Supplies Corporation and improve consumer services across the state.
— IANS
Reader Comments
This is a great move ahead of Onam! The Rs 253 crore for Supplyco and rice at Rs 27/kg will definitely help families during the festival season. But I'm a bit worried about the state's financial situation - hope the minister's promise that welfare schemes won't be affected actually holds true.
Good initiative but let's not get carried away. 73,000 cards in 100 days sounds impressive, but what about the lakhs of families still waiting? Also, why did it take a new government to clear a "long pending" backlog? These systems should have been digitised and streamlined years ago. Still, credit where due - at least they're doing something.
As someone working in the food department, I can vouch for the effort that went into this. We worked overtime to scrutinise applications and clear the backlog. The target was 50,000 but we pushed ourselves to do more. Allowing September quota to be lifted in August is also a thoughtful touch for Onam. Happy to see our work recognised! 😊
Good governance is about efficient delivery of services. Kerala seems to be taking the right steps by prioritising food security. The transparency in reporting these numbers - both targets and actual achievements - is important for building public trust. Looking forward to seeing how the Onam supply chain works in practice.
I'm happy for the families getting ration cards, especially in rural areas where it really matters. But I'd like to see more focus on ensuring the quality and timely distribution of items at Supplyco stores. Last Onam, many Maveli stores ran out of stock within
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