Work to rectify digitised ration cards expedited, says Jyotipriyo

After the change of the guard in the state, the step was taken to convert the ration cards to digitised one. The task was also been executed. But there are around 33 lakh ration cards in which there are some mistakes, like a card carrying wrong spelling of its holder’s name or incorrect address.

On Thursday, Jyotipriyo Mullick, the state Food and Supplies minister, said in Nabanna that the work for the rectification of the cards has been expedited. He was speaking to the media persons after a meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The meeting was also attended by the secretary of his department along with the finance secretary and other senior officials. The steps will also be taken to install the swapping machines at the ration shops. 

As soon as a ration card is swapped in the machine, the quantity of food grains and ingredients given to the card holder will automatically get uploaded online and it can be easily tracked by the officials of the food and supplies department.

Mullick has also said that there were warehouses with capacity to store only 48,000 metric tonne of food grains when Trinamool Congress came to power in 2011. 

In the past five years, warehouses were built and the storing capacity has gone up to 5.91 lakh metric tonne. The construction work of warehouses that will create a storing capacity of 1.80 lakh metric tonne is going on and another 4.80 lakh metric tonne storing capacity will be created soon. 

“Our target is to create a storing capacity of 12 lakh metric tonne food grains,” he said.

The department has procured 35 lakh metric tonne rice from 16 lakh farmers and another 10 lakh metric tonne will be procured.

The department gives payments to farmers through cheques and it brought transparency in the entire process. At present there are warehouses in 65 out of 171 krishi bazaars. The steps have also been taken to set up warehouses in other krishi bazaars as well.

Mullick held meeting with senior officials of his department at Khadya Bhavan on Thursday evening to execute the directions given by the Chief Minister during the meeting at Nabanna on Thursday afternoon.