L-G accords expenditure sanction to provide ₹5,000 as cyclone relief to 3.54 lakh ration cardholders in U.T.

Puducherry government provides ₹5,000 relief assistance to cyclone-affected ration cardholders via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

Paving the way for disbursal of ₹5,000 to each ration cardholder by way of Direct benefit Transfer (DBT) in Puducherry, Karaikal and Yanam regions of the Union Territory as Cyclone Fengal relief assistance, the Lieutenant Governor, K. Kailashnathan, has accorded sanction to the government to incur an expenditure of around ₹177 crore towards providing the assistance .

The assistance of ₹5,000 per family will be transferred directly to the bank accounts of around 3.54 lakh ration cardholders residing in the three regions of the Union Territory. In the aftermath of the damage caused by the cyclone, Chief Minister N. Rangasamy, last week, had announced the government’s decision to disburse ₹5,000 as relief assistance to the affected persons in the three regions. 

An order issued on Wednesday by S. Sathiyamoorthy, Director of Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, said the Lt. Governor had accorded expenditure sanction for providing financial assistance to all ration cardholders in Puducherry, Karaikal and Yanam regions. As per the order, there are around 2.05 lakh Below Poverty Line and 1.49 lakh Above Poverty Line categories of ration cardholders in the three regions.

According to government sources, the disbursal of assistance to cardholders would start soon. “In all probability, the amount will be transferred to the beneficiary bank account in a day or two,” said an official.

In a related development, the government has given a renewed push for its efforts towards encouraging people to voluntarily give up subsidies provided by the Civil Supplies Department.

Mr. Sathiyamoorthy in a release said upper class/ wealthy and other ration card holders should voluntarily come forward to take Honorary Green Card and give up subsidies provided by the department for the downtrodden people in the Union Territory. For availing the Green Card and giving up subsidy, the residents could give a missed call to the mobile number 9944052612.

The department has asked card holders to ensure that the Aadhaar number, mobile number of family members are linked to the ration card. Also, the cardholders have been advised to make sure that the name of deceased members were removed from the card, he said.