Alleging that CPI(M)-ruled gram panchayats were resorting to mischief by disrupting the distribution system even after 34 years of misrule, Banerjee asked them “not to play with fire”. She held a marathon meeting on Monday with Food and Supplies Minister Jyotipriya Mallick and senior officials of the ministry at Nabanna over digitisation of ration cards and distribution of food grains. In the past few days reports of glitches in distribution were received by the state administration. The meeting aimed at plugging loopholes that came up in the distribution system and digitisation of ration cards.
Banerjee said around 82 per cent of the ration cards have already been digitised and in some places it is 100 per cent. “It takes time to distribute such a huge number of ration cards, but it will be completed soon. We have come to know that there are mistakes in details like name and address of card holders in the digitized cards. The problems will be sorted out soon followed by the necessary surveys. But it should in no way affect the distribution of foods grains under the Khadhya Sathi project,” she said, adding that digitisation of ration cards had been carried out by a Central agency and data operators may make small mistakes while entering the data.
People who have not yet received the digitised cards but applied for it will get food grains from their respective ration dealers against a document that proves their identity. Beneficiaries can even collect ration of two months at a time. They will also get food grains if they go to the ration shop with their old ration cards as well. “We had decided to provide rice and wheat at Rs 2 per kg to around 7 crore people. There will be no problem if another crore come under the project,” the Chief Minister said. She also added that people must “get the benefits first, queries can be clarified later”.
“Khadya Sathi scheme is one of the dream projects of the state and it has taken up the challenge to bring the people under food security without much help from the Centre. Earlier 3.2 crore people used to get food grains at subsidised rates. Now more than 7 crore get this benefit,” said Banerjee. She claimed she had received complaints that some dealers – provoked by CPI(M) – were misinforming the beneficiaries saying that their cards had gone to some other place. “This creates confusion among public and steps will be taken to iron out this problem. It is not right to do politics with livelihood of common people. I urge such people to be with the beneficiaries instead of creating nonsense,” she said.
On the quality of food grains provided under the scheme, Banerjee said, “Only 1 lakh metric tonne was procured from the Food Corporation of India while rest of the required foodgrain were bought directly from farmers. Foodgrain bought directly from farmers can never be of poor quality.”