Govt extends free ration scheme till May this yr

New Delhi: With a steep rise in coronavirus cases, the Food and Supply Department has decided to deploy volunteers to ensure health guidelines are followed by beneficiaries and the staff at all fair price shops in Delhi, an official statement said.

These instructions were issued by Food and Supply Minister Imran Hussain after a high-level meeting of the department with other stakeholders of the public distribution system on Thursday. The minister said that the Delhi government has extended the period for free ration supply to the beneficiaries for another six months i.e upto May 2022 to mitigate the economic hardship caused by the Pandemic Covid-19.

"The minister directed the Food & Civil Supplies department officials to ensure that civil defence volunteers deputed at FPSs should monitor all the beneficiaries are wearing masks and are following social distancing norms," the statement said.

It added that Hussain also directed officials to ensure that FPS dealers adopt Covid-appropriate behaviour at all times during the ration distribution.

He also said that coronavirus pandemic guidelines should be followed while lifting ration from godowns. "The minister asked transporters to adequately sensitise truck drivers and their helpers in scrupulously following the guidelines of Covidand adopt Covid-appropriate behaviour while transporting food-grains," the statement said.