Govt to set up food posts for primitive tribe community: Saryu Rai

Jamshedpur, Dec. 5: Saryu Rai, State Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Food and Civil Supply on Monday said that the Government is working on a plan to set up food posts for primitive tribe community.

The state food and publication distribution department will introduce food posts for poor primitive tribes living in far flung areas.

�It is our ambitious project and we are working on to make it success. The idea is to give benefits of food security in far flung areas too,� said Rai, while addressing a press conference at Circuit House.

Rai said objective behind is to smooth delivery of food articles to beneficiaries. He also said tentatively the scheme will be introduced next year. Minister informed that PDS units will be transformed into banking correspondents soon.

The minister also expressed displeasure on poor response to white ration card scheme meant for families that are not enrolled in food security Act.

So far 60000 applications of white ration card has reached ration department. Timeline for filing application for white ration card has been extended to December 15, 2016.

Rai also sent on to inform that the Government is working on to bring the beneficial schemes under digitalization so that large number of people can grab benefits.

The minister said the government was going to supply sacks of 35 kilograms of foodgrains to the families belonging to the Primitive Tribal Group. He further said that the PDS dealers will be given the responsibility as banking correspondents to enable villagers to withdraw money from the PDS shops by entering thumb impressions.

Rai warned the PDS dealers against trying to tamper with the PoS machines as it was not possible for them to do such things.

Rai said the work of paddy purchase had begun at all paddy purchase centres across Jharkhand. The farmers will get a price of Rs 1600 for every quintal of paddy in the state.

The money of farmers will be sent to them through NEFT or DBT, he said.