Camps to hand over ration cards to left-out beneficiaries of Khadya Sathi scheme
Kolkata: Bengal government is set to conduct camps in all the offices of Block Development Officers (BDO) across the state from September 9-26 to provide ration cards to 4 to 5 per cent of the total population in the state, who have still been left out of the Khadya Sathi scheme.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the Assembly on Wednesday instructed the state Food and Supply Minister Jyotipriya Mallick to conduct an all-party meeting to take consensus and also to bridge the gaps which are still there in the system.
During her speech in the Assembly, Banerjee pointed out that many people in the state possess the ration cards but they do not avail facilities of the Khadya Sathi scheme, a brain child of the Chief Minister. On the other hand, there is another section belonging to the BPL category who possess the ration card and enjoy various facilities extended by the state government.
The Chief Minister asked the Food and Supply minister to conduct a survey in this regard.
"Following the announcement of the NRC by the Centre, some people in the state are scared and they want to hold the ration card for the sake of identity and not avail the benefits extended by the state. We have found that 4-5 per cent of the total population in the state is still deprived as they do not have a ration card. Hence, we have decided that camps will be conducted in all the BDO offices across the state so that the people left out can be brought under the Khadya Sathi scheme," Banerjee told the House.
Food and Supply Minister Jyotipriya Mallick during his speech in the Assembly said advertisements will be published to make people aware about the camps to reach out to the people who are yet to get a ration card.
People have to come to the camps in the BDO offices with proper documents to receive their cards. The officials of the Food and Supply department will also be present at the camps.
The whole process will be conducted within November 31. It was learnt that the Food and Supply department will hold the all party meeting in this regard on next Friday.
