THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Though the political mudslinging over the food kits has reached a feverish pitch ahead of the elections, the state government has made all measures to distribute the kits to around 89,38,010 ration card-holders. These will be the last kits from the current ruling dispensation. Speaking to TNIE, a senior officer in the Commissionerate of Civil Supplies said, “The welfare kit distribution for the month of April will start on Tuesday and the exercise is expected to be completed by this weekend,” he said.
Whether politics over the kits has helped the ruling dispensation politically or not, the distribution was one of the mammoth special drives carried out by the department that evoked huge public interest. On average, 84 lakh families bought the kits distributed by the government through ration shops every month from April 2020.
In the beginning, it was the ‘survival kit’ during lockdown, which was followed by the Onam kit, and then the welfare kit in the following months. If 18 types of grocery worth Rs 1,000 were in each survival kit, the welfare kit had around 10 items worth Rs 500. The last kit will have 14 items due to Easter and Vishu festivals and it will mark the end of the year-long kit distribution.
The kit also courted controversy during Onam after jaggery and pappad distributed through the kits were found to be of inferior quality. Later, the companies which supplied the groceries had to face legal issues and fine. The state had spent around Rs 4,198 crore for the distribution of kits, including money from the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund. It was widely acknowledged that the kits distributed by the LDF government helped the front romp home during the last local body elections following which the government decided to extend the kit distribution till April 2021.
The government had made arrangements also to distribute special rice to non-priority ration card-holders (blue and white cards), but it was halted by the Election Commission following a complaint by the Opposition leader stating that it was in violation of the model code of conduct. However, the High Court on Monday stayed the Election Commission order.
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