Food dept to meet dealers today to discuss plans for Duare Ration roll out

Kolkata: The state Food and Supplies department will hold a meeting with the ration dealers on Tuesday and seek their opinion on the roll out of Duare Ration (Ration at Doorstep) scheme. All the District Magistrates will be virtually present at the meeting that will be held by the Food Commissioner.

Sources in the department said already three to four alternative models for rolling out the scheme had been conceived. Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee in the party's election manifesto had announced free doorstep delivery of ration as part of Duare Ration project.

"We have a meeting with the Commissioner of the Food department on Tuesday where we will share proposals regarding the project," Biswambhar Basu, general secretary of All India Fair Price Shop Dealers' Federation said. The primary requirement will be of vehicles and additional manpower for delivering ration at doorstep, said Basu.

Meanwhile, the state Food department on Sunday kicked off the process of distribution of extra ration in the form of 2 kg rice and 3 kg wheat per month allocated by the Central government for beneficiaries under NFSA(National Food Security Act). The Centre has allocated this two months extra ration for May and June amid the second wave.

The department distributed 17000 metric tonnes of rice on the very first day. There are 6.1 crore NFSA beneficiaries in the state.