Saffron colour card-holders to get foodgrains at concessional prices in district

Aurangabad, May 28:

In an attempt to provide relief to the farmers having saffron colour ration cards in the district, but deprived of benefits under National Food Security Mission or above poverty line (APL) scheme, the administration has decided to

provide wheat and rice to them, at affordable rates, through public distribution shops (PDS), soon.

These farmers will be getting wheat at the rate of Rs 8 per kg/per person and rice at the rate of Rs 12 per kg/per person. The distribution will be starting from June. Meanwhile, the decision will be benefitting 10.36 lakh family members and

dependents of 2.40 lakh saffron colour ration card-holders in the district.

There are 7.30 lakh card-holders in the district. It includes 65,482 yellow card-holders (BPL category), 4.24 lakh are white colour card-holders, and 2.40 lakh saffron colour card-holders. Besides, the total strength of public distribution shops in the district is 1,801. It may be noted that the yellow card-holders are getting free of cost from the government since the lockdown till today.

The assistant District Supply Officer (DSO) Datta Bharaskar said," Presently, we have received the quota of food grains to be supplied free in the five tehsils - Sillod, Vaijapur, Gangapur, Khuldabad, and Paithan. The stock includes 155 metric tones of wheat and 125 metric tones of rice. The distribution will start in June. As per the new instructions, the persons having saffron colour ration cards will also be getting the grains at concessional rates. Hence it will help to provide relief to them, as well."