'No kerosene without digital ration cards from June'

kolkata: The state Food and Supplies department has decided to stop providing kerosene to the consumers who do not possess digital ration cards from June. Presently, both digital ration card holders and paper card holders get kerosene.

The supply of foodgrains from the fair price shops across the state has already been stopped for the paper card holders and only those with digital ration cards avail foodgrains.

'Majority of the people in the state have digital ration cards. If anybody does not possess such card he/she can apply and it is normally processed in 15 to 20 days," a senior official of the Food & Supplies department said.

In a non-digital card the allotment of kerosene is 150 ml while in the digital one 500 ml is provided. The department will carry out awareness among the consumers to apply for digital ration cards while informing them of its advantages.However, the decision will not be applicable for the residents of Darjeeling. The process of distribution of digital cards is going on in the tea gardens and it will take some more time. "So, it will take more time to implement this in the Hills," the official added.The state Food and Supplies department has recently started an SMS-based service so that a beneficiary can know well in advance about the entitlement of the exact quantity of food grains. "We want to ensure that a beneficiary knows well in advance about his entitlement and does not get fleeced by any means by the dealer.

The SMS is being sent right at the beginning of the month so that the beneficiary is well aware of his allotment," a senior official of the state Food and Supplies department

said.