Mamata reiterates commitment to ensuring food security

Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday extended greetings to everyone on the occasion of World Food Day (October 16) and reiterated her commitment to ensuring food security through a post on social media.

According to the post by the Chief Minister on her Facebook page, nearly 90 million people in the state have access to free foodgrain distribution through the Public Distribution System ensuring food safety. This includes residents of the Jangalmahal area, unwilling farmer families from Singur, families affected by Aila disaster, workers and their families from closed tea gardens, toto families and people living in hilly regions receive additional special packages.

Every month, over 70 million people in the state receive free rations at their doorstep through the ‘Duare Ration’ initiative.

During the festive season, twice a year during Eid Ramadan and Durga Puja, Diwali, Chhath Puja — sugar, flour and Bengal gram (only during Ramadan) — are provided at subsidised rates.

The paddy procurement this year has been 52 lakh metric tonnes from 1.3 million farmers. The farmers are getting the fair price for paddy directly in their bank accounts.

There has been an overwhelming response to the introduction of self service to the beneficiary that kicked off from February 5 this year through the department’s portal. In five months, 22 lakh people have availed this service.

A beneficiary can do correction in name, address, age etc through form 5, change his/ her ration shop, surrender ration card by filling up form 7, avail non-subsidy card by filling form 10 and can also link or delink mobile number.

Bengal is the only state in the country to have introduced this facility.