Ration: SMS-based service starts, about 1.5 cr to come under initiative
Kolkata: The state Food and Supplies department has started an SMS-based service so that a beneficiary can know well in advance about the entitlement of the exact quantity of food grains. About 1.5 crore people across the state have come under this new initiative of the department.
"We want to ensure that a beneficiary knows well in advance about his own 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.
There have been instances when a person has returned from the ration shop accepting whatever is given to him by the dealer. "Every beneficiary's right is to get the correct allotment and if he knows his/her entitlement then a section of unscrupulous ration dealers cannot cheat him/her," the official said.
The state Food department has started de-activation of the ration cards of those beneficiaries who have not been withdrawing food grains for months. "A beneficiary need not worry about deactivation. If somebody wants to avail the ration facilities, he/she can approach any ration shop or any Bangla Sahayata Kendra, link Aadhaar with ration card and the card becomes activated immediately.
Presently over 50 lakh ration cards have been deactivated. The department believes that by deactivation of the ration cards it would be able to save expenditure as deceased or fake beneficiaries will not be able to activate the cards again.
The state government has informed at the state Assembly that in the financial year 2021-22, it has spent an additional Rs 20751.53 crore which includes expenditure in connection with Khadya Sathi and Duare Ration (Ration at Doorstep) programme.
Presently, 8 crore beneficiaries' ration card have been linked with Aadhaar.
"We are urging everyone who has not linked Aadhaar with ration card to do the same at an earliest," the official added.
