Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan praised the effective measures taken for protection against COVID-19 infection and food-grain distribution system in Chhattisgarh.

 

While reviewing the implementation of major schemes of the Department of Food and Public Distribution (DoFPD) in states/UTs in time of lockdown enforced for control and prevention of Novel Coronavirus COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan held a review meeting with state/UTs Food and Public Distribution Ministers and Food Secretaries through video conference on Friday.

 

Speaking to food ministers and food secretaries from various states across country, Paswan said that they should ensure distribution of food-grains so that no one goes hungry. The Minister said that FCI has become the lifeline of food distribution and food grains and pulses are being distributed across country by road, rail and air. The Minister took stock of the distribution of food grains and pulses in the states and UTs. He heard the successes and hurdles faced and peculiar problems of each state. He also took stock of the implementation of the One Nation, One Card (ONOS) Scheme.

 

Paswan said that Chhattisgarh has achieved success in providing food-grains to its people as well as the arrangements of transportation, food and health examination made for migrant labourers are also praiseworthy.

 

Raising the issue of rice procurement under central pool during the review meeting held through video conferencing, Food Minister Amarjeet Bhagat said that procurement of 24 lakh MT rice has been permitted for central pool and urged the Union Minister to raise it to 32 lakh MT, to which the Union Minister made a positive gesture towards hiking additional 8 lakh MT for central pool. The Food Corporation of India has also given its approval for procuring additional rice.

 

During the meeting Food Minister Bhagat urged the Union Food Minister to extend the allotment of 5 kg rice per member free of cost under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana for another three months. He also urged to permit distribution of rice at low price to APL card holders alike BPL card holders. Bhagat informed during the meeting that after lockdown was enforced, 40,000 new ration cards were prepared, most of these cards were of those people who had migrated to other states, but have returned now. He urged to extend facility of central scheme to these card holders as well who’re mostly migrant labourers.

 

During the meeting, Bhagat urged the Union Minister to allow distribution of state-quota sugar produced in sugarcane factories in Chhattisgarh through PDS. He also informed that State Government is distributing chana (gram) since April and is continuing in May as well. He said that State Government is providing food grains to labourers from other states as well and that there is no dearth of food grains in State. Food Minister Amarjeet Bhagat extended his government’s gratitude to the Prime Minister and the Union Minister for food and public distribution for the aid provided by the Centre, FCI and NAFED in respect of food-grains and pulses provided under the ‘Atma Nirbhar’ package and the PMGKAY. Present during the meeting were Secretary (Food) Dr Kamalpreet Singh, Special Secretary Manoj Kumar Soni, MD Civil Supplies Corporation Niranjan Das and other senior officials.