Govt reluctant to implement cash subsidy scheme

Announces to make 8 lakh new ration cards for antyodaya families

Will link 1000 fair price shops with core PDS

House passes demand for budgetary grants of over Rs 3356.16 cr for food, civil supplies & consumer protection, 20-point programme implementation and gramodyog departments

Raipur, March 07, 2013

The state government has reiterated that it is reluctant to implement direct cash transfer of subsidy scheme. The minister for food, civil supplies & consumer protection, 20-point programme implementation and gramodyog departments Punnulal Mohle on Thursday maintained his government’s negative stand on the scheme. Mohle’s reflected the government’s opinion while he was speaking during debate over demand for budgetary grants of over Rs 3356.16 crore for his departments at state assembly. The House passed demand for grants for these departments through voice vote.

Mohle announced that the government would make eight lakh new ration cards for antyodaya families. The ration cards will be made on the basis of proposals sent by ministers, MPs, MLAs, mayors, district panchayat members and corporators, he said. He informed the House that about four lakh ration cards had been cancelled in last couple of years for not meeting the given norms. 

He further informed that 1000 fair price shops would be linked through core PDS. “Chhattisgarh’s PDS has become a model scheme for the country. To provide better facilities to the people, we are running meri marji scheme under core PDS in fair price shops based in urban areas of Raipur, Durg, and Rajnandgaon and Mahasamund districts. In 2013-14 budget, there is provision of Rs 3.50 crore to link 1000 fair price shops with core PDS,” he said.

The government has also made a provision of Rs 25 lakh to open 50 new Annapurna dal-bhat centres in next financial year, he said. Presently, there are 133 dal-bhat centres in state.

“The government further plans to provide flour instead of wheat to the ration cardholders under PDS. Initially, the scheme would be launched at Raipur on experimental basis. There is a provision of Rs 1.72 crore for this flour-distribution scheme,” he said.

To increase foodgrain stock capacity of the fair price shops in rural pockets, he informed that the government had decided to construct shop-cum-godowns. For this, 200 fair price shops have selected and a provision of Rs 20 has been made.

He further informed that the government procured 71.31 lakh MT paddy from 107988 farmers and paid Rs 8988 crore to them. Besides, he said the government had made a provision of Rs 1750 crore in the budget to pay Rs 270 paddy bonus to the farmers.