HYDERABAD: Sixty-five-year old CP Saroja is the sole breadwinner of the family. Her husband and grandchild, who stays with them, are solely dependent on her Aasara pension of `1,000 and the benefits of the food security scheme (rations). She receives her pension usually around the 18th of every month. But, to her dismay, the civil supplies department has now decided to keep the ration shops open only till the 20th of this month and till the 15th of every month from March.
While PDS beneficiaries, in general, are a worried lot, those who depend on the government pension to avail the benefits of food security scheme are shocked. Saroja could avail the benefit on Sunday as her pension amount was credited to bank account only on Friday. When told about the new rule, she seemed clueless as to what she would do from next month as the shops will have been shut for the month by the time she receives her pension.
The department of civil supplies has cut short the period of supply of essentials to BPL families, primarily to prevent diversion of PDS commodities by fair price shop dealers but the move has affected most of the beneficiaries of the food security scheme.Saroja, a resident of Sriramnagar in Rahmathnagar, told Express that her pension was credited into her bank account usually by 17th or latest by 20th of every month.
A Jayamma of Rahmathnagar said she receives her widow pension of `1,000 on the 19th of every month. Her daughter studying engineering thanks to the fee reimbursement scheme and son is working as a painter.
“Last month we missed our rations due to delay in the pension disbursal. When I went to the dealer, he said the monthly quota was finished and the e-POS machine was deactivated,” she lamented. This month she received her pension on the 17th and she just managed to claim her ration by the time (Feb 20) the shop will be closed for this month. Md Azimuddin, a labourer at Borabanda, said his family is entirely dependent on the 36 kg of rice he gets every month.
“I don’t have work everyday and for whatever work I do the payment comes late. With the new rule, six members of my family are going to be hit. I don’t understand why the government wants to keep ration shops shut for half a month,” he wondered.
The public distribution system in Hyderabad is different from that in other districts as it used to have a holiday on Friday. It has been done away with now. With shops remaining open just for 15 days a month —from the first to 15th —cardholders will find it hard to buy essentials in that short period. Earlier, the shops remained open from the first to 25th.
FPS dealers complain about meagre commission. “As per the Food Security Act, the commission on one kilo of rice should be increased from 20 paise to 70 paise but the state government did not do it. A dealer is to get `17 every month for maintenance of e-PoS machine —`8.50 each from central and state governments but the state has not paid its share for two years,” a dealer said.