Duare Ration to continue unhindered: Minister

Kolkata: The state Food & Supplies department has made it clear that Duare Ration (Ration at Doorstep) project will continue in spite of the restrictions imposed by the state government with COVID-19 cases witnessing a sharp rise in the state.

A section of ration dealers have demanded to temporarily stall the project.

"The rationing system is an essential service and Duare Ration is naturally not an exception. It will continue in the usual fashion," Rathin Ghosh, state Food & Supplies minister said.

The Aadhaar seeding exercise with ration cards will also continue as usual.

The state government has started Duare Ration with cent percentage coverage from December after adequate trial in this matter. The response has been quite encouraging for the department.

A senior official of the department said in case of Duare Ration, the dealer comes up at a particular place with a vehicle and accordingly the customer comes and picks it up. There is minimum chance of queue or gathering under this system.

The ration dealers' organisation has, however, called for temporarily stalling the project for a period of one month citing the prevailing Covid situation.

"We will write to the state government highlighting the difficulties in continuing with the project with stringent Covid restrictions," Biswambhar Basu, general secretary All India Fair Price Shop Dealers Federation said.