BENGALURU: Minister for Food and Civil Supplies KH Muniyappa here on Monday said the cabinet will discuss replacing Rs 170 direct benefit transfer (DBT), being credited to BPL card holders instead of 5 kg rice, with food kits as there is a popular demand.
On the sidelines of reviewing the progress of revision of ration cards, Muniyappa claimed that he had brought up the subject in the last cabinet meeting, but it was not discussed. “The government is thinking of providing food kits containing cooking oil, dal and sugar to the beneficiaries of the Anna Bhagya Scheme instead of DBT. There is a possibility that the distribution of food kits will be discussed at the October 28 Cabinet meeting. The decision will be taken after the revision of ration cards, which is likely to be completed in a month,” he added.
He said the Centre, which had refused to provide rice to the state for the scheme, recently came forward to supply rice at Rs 28 per kg. He claimed to have discussed it with Union Minister for Consumer Affairs Pralhad Joshi as the state requires 20,000 tonnes of rice every month.
Muniyappa said the ‘Ahara Soudha’ will be constructed at Rs 50 lakh to house the department’s offices in Bengaluru. October-end will organise the World Food Mela to spread the message that nearly a third of food in hotels and function halls which is getting wasted should be checked, he said.
Muniyappa said that during the revision, the department found 13,87,639 ineligible ration cards, of which 3,63,664 have been cancelled, while the process is on for the 3,97,111 cards. As many as 2,964 cards had been taken by government employees and a penalty has been imposed on them.