BENGALURU: Above Poverty Line (APL) families will get foodgrains under the public distribution system (PDS) from June 1, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said on Monday.
He told reporters that the Department of Civil Supplies has made arrangements to include APL families into the PDS system. Beneficiaries have to register with the food and civil services offices.
An estimated 26 lakh APL families are in the state, and all of them may not opt for the PDS system, he said.
“We are insisting that APL families wishing to join the PDS system register to know about the requirement of foodgrains and procurement from the market,” he said.
He said the state government would procure wheat and rice from the Central pool at Rs 3 and Rs 2 per kilo respectively.
“Earlier we had to buy the foodgrains at higher prices,” he said.
He said following the enforcement of the Food Security Act, the state government is likely to get cash benefit of about Rs 400 to 500 crore.
The minister defended the state government’s decision to revert back to unit system for distribution of rice at a cheaper price, and said, “It was done to prevent surplus foodgrains from entering the black market.”
He said with the restructured PDS system, the total annual allocation on the Anna Bhagya scheme has come down to Rs 2,200 crore.