Centre approves proposal of Puducherry government to distribute free rice through PDS outlets

Ministry of Home Affairs approves Puducherry's proposal to distribute essential items through ration shops in Union Territory.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has approved the proposal of the Puducherry government to distribute essential commodities through ration shops in the Union Territory.

In a letter to the Chief Secretary, Ravi Ranjan, Second-in-Command (CPD), Ministry of Home Affairs has said the competent authority in the Ministry had given approval to the proposal sent by the Puducherry government on October 3 seeking permission to provide essential items through fair price shops in the Union Territory. 

While giving sanction for the proposal, the Ministry has also issued certain directions to the territorial administration, such as to ensure bio-metric authentication of beneficiaries, transparency in selection of agency involved in supply of essentials, quality of items supplied, and proper mechanism to avoid pilferage during distribution of food grains.

The Ministry has also directed the Puducherry administration to incur the cost towards implementing the scheme from its own resources. The distribution of essential items through ration shops was stopped in Puducherry around five years ago after differences emerged between the then Lieutenant Governor, Kiran Bedi, and the previous Congress government, headed by V. Narayanasamy, over execution of free rice scheme in the Union Territory. 

Ms. Bedi, after obtaining concurrence from the MHA, decided to adopt Direct Benefit Transfer mode instead of supplying rice to the beneficiaries through the Public Distribution System outlets. Ms. Bedi had then stated that she was compelled to adopt the DBT mode following complaints regarding the execution of free rice scheme. 

Since then, the government was transferring money into the accounts of ration card holders for purchasing rice from open market. After the government stopped distribution of free rice, ration shops had remained closed in the entire Union Territory. Following criticism from the public, political parties and employees of ration shops, Chief Minister N. Rangasamy had appealed to the Union Government to revoke its decision on distribution of free rice. 

There was also pressure from the ruling AINRC-BJP legislators to relaunch distribution of rice as they felt the closure of ration shops was one of the reasons for the defeat of the NDA candidate in the Lok Sabha poll in the Union Territory. “Our party has also taken up the issue at various party forums as it was evident during the Lok Sabha election campaign that the decision to stop distribution of free rice had not gone down well with the public. During the campaign, people were openly demanding reopening of ration shops and distribution of free rice,“ said a BJP leader.