KMC to complete ration card distribution under Khadya Sathi by this month

Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will complete the distribution of ration cards for those entitled to get facilities of Khadya Sathi scheme by this month. "The KMC is still left with 2.26 lakh ration cards to be distributed to consumers under the Khadya Sathi scheme. The process of handing over cards will be completed by October 31," state Food minister Jyotipriya Mallick said on Wednesday.

Malllick held a high-level meeting at the KMC headquarters where Mayor Sovan Chatterjee, borough chairmen and other civic body officials were present to review the situation of distribution of ration cards under the Khadya Sathi scheme.

The KMC had carried out door-to-door surveys in all the 144 wards and have finalised the list of beneficiaries under this scheme. The remaining 2.26 lakh cards have already been sent to the borough offices for quick distribution. "As the final list of the beneficiaries have been finalised, I will urge all those who are not entitled for rice and wheat at Rs 2 per kg under this scheme to opt out on their own from this scheme," the Mayor said. According to Central government, around 6 crore people in the state are entitled to get such facilities

However, the food department feels that the beneficiaries in the state are much more.

"I will urge all the civic bodies like Siliguri, Bidhannagar, Asansol-Durgapur and other civic bodies to follow the survey model of the KMC so that the real beneficiaries come under the scheme," Mallick said.

Chatterjee claimed that the KMC had sorted out all the errors that had cropped up in the ration cards and the correction process will be carried out simultaneously with the distribution. "We will conduct such review meetings every two months to assess our performance and accordingly take steps to overcome shortcomings if any," Chatterjee added. The Mamata Banerjee-government in Bengal spends Rs 5,000 crore a year for the Food Security I and Food Security II schemes.