Ranchi: Chief Minister Raghubar Das today said central and the state government are making efforts to ensure that the poor should get the benefits of the scheme that are meant for them therefore the funds are being directly transferred into their accounts.
Launching the DBT scheme for foodgrains being distributed under PDS Scheme in Nagdi block of this district, he said use of technology has helped to save Rs 225 crore in a year which would have been otherwise got into the hands of the middlemen. He said, the money saved would be used for the benefit of the people and assured that the PDS system would be made free from middlemen.
Das said, earlier it was a common complaint that PDS dealers do not give ration to the people. He said now at the rate of Rs 31.60 per kgs a total of Rs 1,106 for 35 kgs of foodgrains would be transferred into their accounts after which the beneficiary can themselves go to the dealer and buy the foodgrains.
The CM said the scheme has been launched on a pilot basis in Nagdi and money for the first month is being currently transferred into the account of the beneficiary. He said, in the state 11.64 lakh fake ration cards have been cancelled which has helped to save 72,000 tonnes of food grains. Apart from that 9.31 ration cards have been built and process was on to give ration cards to those who have been left behind.
Das instructed the PDS dealers to improve their working and said that poor should get their foodgrains or else the government would allow them permission to purchase foodgrains from anywhere. He said PDS dealers too can also sell other items like other ration shops.
On the occasion, the chief minister also dedicated to the people reeling cum twisting machine which has been designed by the central tussar research and training institution and named it after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as Atal Reeling cum Twisting Machine. He said with the use of this machine, the women would be able to earn Rs 400 per day and every month their income would be Rs 12,000.
