New Delhi: After several reports showed that Delhi's ration beneficiaries were unable to access free ration under the NFSA scheme for the first four weeks of the recent lockdown imposed to curb the second wave of the pandemic, the Delhi government has now ordered that free NFSA ration will be provided to the city's some 72 lakh beneficiaries for the months of May and June this year.
Food and Civil Supplies Minister Imran Hussain on Friday made the announcement and said that he had held a high-level meeting to review the process of free distribution of ration in Delhi. A statement from his department said that Hussain had directed officers to ensure that ration distribution is carried out in a smooth, convenient and transparent manner.
The statement added that the Delhi Cabinet had approved this decision in the larger public interest of the people in light of the Covid-19 induced lockdown.
The Delhi BJP had recently launched an attack against the ruling Aam Aadmi Party over no access to free ration in the first few weeks of the lockdown that began on April 20.
In case beneficiaries face any problem in receiving ration free of cost at Fair Price Shops (FPS), they may contact officers of the F&S Department for immediate redressal, the Delhi government said, adding that beneficiaries can also file complaints with their respective Assistant Commissioner, Food Supplies Officer or Food Supplies Inspector.
They may also complain about it the Helpline number 1967 and other grievance redressal portals including PGMS, the government statement added. Hussain is also known to have directed senior officers to conduct surprise checks at FPS to keep an eye on whether the process is being undertaken as per the rules.
According to the new directives from the Food and Civil Supplies Department, the decision will benefit about 17,78,632 households covering 72,77,995 beneficiaries which include 68,732 Antodya Anna Yojna (AAY) households having 2,81,006 beneficiaries.
In addition to this, the Delhi Cabinet on Friday also approved the proposal to provide Rs 5,000 financial assistance to auto and taxi drivers in the city. The proposal will also cover aid to e-rickshaw owners and permit holders of para-transit vehicles, according to a statement by Kailash Gahlot on Twitter.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also tweeted about the Cabinet nod to the proposal, saying, "Soon, this amount will reach your bank accounts. I hope this will bring you some relief in these pandemic times."